Comprehensive shifts in human behavior could theoretically reduce global emissions by up to 70% by 2050, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This would essentially wipe out the equivalent of all emissions from China, the U.S., India, the EU and Russia combined.

But the key word is "comprehensive." The IPCC is clear that these transformative reductions would result from individual behavior change combined with supporting policy, industry and technological transformations that make those behaviors possible and widely accessible.

WRI’s Living Lab for Equitable Climate Action is focused on unlocking this potential by uniting individual and systems-level interventions. We identify and quantify the most impactful population-level shifts in how people eat, travel, and power homes and buildings. We also provide high-level estimates and evidence for the climate and socioeconomic benefits of key behavioral changes. Working in partnership with civil society, industry and governments, we translate this research into action.

For example, we have partnered with the water utility in Mexico to apply field research on water-saving behaviors and encourage water savings. We’ve helped international organizations redesign their policies to reduce air travel. We’ve helped corporate partners understand consumer behavior in order to make lower-carbon options, like plant-based foods, more attractive. We work alongside partners to pilot these changes, measure real-world results, and refine approaches that can be scaled.

This critical decade for climate action offers a window of opportunity to change the way people live. We can reduce emissions while improving health, strengthening communities, creating jobs and making life more affordable, building a future that is both sustainable and equitable. Our team works at this intersection: advancing solutions that empower individuals while driving the policy and industry transformations needed to ensure people and the planet thrive.

The Living Lab is anchored in:

Behavioral Research to Inform Policy Design

Rather than a narrow focus on individual “lifestyle” changes, we work to identify and design behavior-informed policy and structural reforms that drive population-level behavior change. For example, a communication campaign that aims to reduce the impact of food waste by “nudging” people to compost relies on individual-level change. In contrast, a municipal composting program makes the shift easier and accessible to everyone.

Equity and Social Justice

When analyzing different policies or interventions, we consider climate impacts as well as social impacts, such as health, income and equity.  For example, communities of color and low-income neighborhoods in the United States face disproportionately high exposure to air pollution due to zoning policies that placed highways, industrial facilities and freight corridors in these areas. As a result, a program promoting electric vehicle adoption could successfully reduce overall city emissions but would fail to address the concentrated pollution burden these communities face.  We seek to unearth (and, when possible, quantify) the full spectrum of barriers and opportunities people face when attempting to shift behaviors.

Partnerships

To maximize the likelihood of success, we partner with a wide range of groups, including local and international academic and research institutions, government agencies, civil society groups and industry. Each of these groups influences behaviors; therefore, they all must work together to enable large-scale behavioral change.

Participatory Design

We practice participatory research and behavioral design that centers and values local stakeholders. With partners, we explore behavioral challenges and co-design solutions. Diverse local partnerships ensure that the right questions are asked and that behavioral interventions are well suited to the unique contours of the local community.