Background

Better understanding of people’s behavior is fundamental for designing public policies that address complex development challenges. In the last decade, the use of behavioral insights together with big data, IoT and AI has grown rapidly particularly in the areas of renewable energy consumption, energy saving and peak-shift (demand-response), EV car sharing, and public transportation. There are over 200 specialized behavioral science units in governments, international development organizations, universities, and the private sector. In Japan, the Nudge Unit is active and has delivered tangible outcomes with demonstration projects in power saving and time-shift, day-time EV charging, and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) which could be deployed into developing countries. In this DDW, knowledge and experiences will be shared on how behavior insights (e.g., nudge theory) and its practical uses can be built into projects for tackling climate change. For example, nudges have been used effectively on household electric utility customers - EV day-time charging, advanced MaaS management, and grassroots stakeholders for electricity demand management. The session highlights 3 practical case studies where development professionals and technology providers assessed on-the-ground needs of stakeholders and provided innovative solutions using behavioral science. The speakers aim to emphasize the role behavioral insights can play in improving outcomes in clean energy related projects.