Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · 6d

♻️ New paper in Journal of Environmental Psychology 🙌

We examined subtraction neglect — the tendency to prioritize additive over subtractive climate strategies (e.g., buying an EV vs. flying less) when thinking about effective personal actions. Check it out! 🙃
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Stage II Registered Report: Subtraction Neglect in Perceptions of Climate Action Strategies

Research suggests that individuals often overlook beneficial subtractive strategies when solving problems. Subtractive strategies, which include reduc…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · 16d

The #behavioral science literature on #biodiversity conservation also needs to grow exponentially, ideally in close collaboration with conservation experts.

Why and how should behavioral scientists engage with biodiversity conservation? Here's a paper for you👇
(5/5)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Biodiversity conservation as a promising frontier for behavioural science - Nature Human Behaviour

Nielsen et al. argue for more involvement of behavioural scientists in addressing the challenge of globally increasing biodiversity loss, identifying important gaps in existing knowledge and outlining...

www.nature.com

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · 16d

I am still really proud of this article, which remains highly timely given the desperate need to scale up conservation efforts worldwide.

If we want to bend the curve on biodiversity loss, making better and more systematic use of behavioral science will be important.

But... (4/5)

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · 16d

We outline:
🔑 Why biodiversity challenges are very often also behavioral challenges
📚 A wide range of interventions for changing behavior at both individual and population levels
⚖️ A framework for prioritizing interventions based on their likely impact, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness

(3/5)

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · 16d

In 2021, we argued that conservation science and practice have only scratched the surface of what behavioral science can contribute.

Too often, interventions rely on education, regulation, or incentives, without applying decades of insights about how to make these approaches more effective. (2/5)

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · 16d

🌿🦋 Biodiversity conservation is, at its core, about changing human behavior.

Whether it’s the consumer choices driving unsustainable demand, land managers clearing habitats, or policymakers failing to act – #biodiversity loss is tightly bound to human behavior🧵
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Making more effective use of human behavioural science in conservation interventions

Conservation is predominantly an exercise in trying to change human behaviour – whether that of consumers whose choices drive unsustainable resource u…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · 28d

For at lykkes har vi brug for bedre viden om danskernes adfærd: Hvem har de største aftryk, hvilke barrierer møder folk, og hvilke løsninger virker hvor?

Jeg foreslår en ny vidensplatform, der skal sikre en mere effektiv, retfærdig og demokratisk forankret omstilling
www.altinget.dk/klima/artike...

Forsker: Forbrugsbaserede klimamål kræver bedre viden om danskernes adfærd - Altinget

Skal Danmark være et ægte grønt foregangsland, må vi tage ansvar for klimaaftrykket af vores forbrug, ikke kun vores produktion. Det kræver både et nationalt forbrugsbaseret klimamål og en strategi fo...

www.altinget.dk

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · 28d

🌍🇩🇰 Nyt indlæg i @altingetdk.bsky.social

Danmark kaldes ofte et grønt foregangsland. Men vores forbrugsbaserede klimaaftryk er ca. 50% højere end de territoriale udledninger.

Hvis vi vil være et ægte grønt foregangsland, kræver det et forbrugsbaseret klimamål og en strategi for adfærdsændringer...

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · 29d

This is an amazingly helpful resource for guiding you to take meaningful and effective #climate action in your context 😍🌎

Kimberly Nicholas @kimberlynicholas.bsky.social · 29d

How can YOU help fix the climate crisis? This new guide I researched and created with support from @projectdrawdown.bsky.social will help you find & flex your climate superpowers:
👩‍⚖️ Citizen
💼 Professional
💵 Investor
✈️ Consumer
🌟 Role Model
Check out jointheshift.earth and let's #MakeSHIFThappen!

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · 29d

Making shared concern for biodiversity more visible can strengthen social norms, unlock cooperation, and support both personal and systemic action for conservation.

Huge thanks to @sandrajgeiger.bsky.social for leading this work and to all the co-authors (2/2)
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Understanding the role of pluralistic ignorance in biodiversity conservation: A research agenda

Most people believe that biodiversity loss is human-caused, yet they may not realize how many others share this belief. Such collective misperceptions…

www.sciencedirect.com

5

Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · 29d

🦋🌱 Most people care about #biodiversity, yet we often underestimate how concerned others are about its loss. This “pluralistic ignorance” can silence people, weaken action, and make ambitious policies seem less popular.

In a new paper, we outline a research agenda to study and reduce this gap (1/2)

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Reposted by Kristian Steensen Nielsen

Flight Free UK @flightfreeuk.bsky.social · Sep 8

"Changing what we demand and how we live could reduce global emissions by 40–70%"

This is why we encourage individual behaviour change – not in place of system change and government action, but as a vital part of it.

Take the Flight Free Challenge today: flightfree.co.uk#take-the-cha...

Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · Sep 8

🌍🚨 We cannot solve the climate crisis without demand-side solutions!

The @ipcc.bsky.social is crystal clear: changing what we demand and how we live could reduce global emissions by 40–70% by 2050. This is not a marginal add-on. It must be at the heart of climate policy🧵
www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/w...

Chapter 5: Demand, services and social aspects of mitigation

.

www.ipcc.ch

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Reposted by Kristian Steensen Nielsen

Peter du Toit @peterdutoit.com · Sep 8

More context:

bsky.app/profile/kris...

Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · Sep 8

🌍🚨 We cannot solve the climate crisis without demand-side solutions!

The @ipcc.bsky.social is crystal clear: changing what we demand and how we live could reduce global emissions by 40–70% by 2050. This is not a marginal add-on. It must be at the heart of climate policy🧵
www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/w...

Chapter 5: Demand, services and social aspects of mitigation

.

www.ipcc.ch

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · Sep 8

IPCC WGIII Chapter 5 remains one of the most comprehensive resources on the social science of climate change mitigation to date. I cannot recommend it enough! (6/6)

Read it here: www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/w...

@efesce.bsky.social @jksteinberger.bsky.social @elkeweber.bsky.social

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · Sep 8

That means:

- Developing policies that account for feasibility, equity, and social norms
- Recognizing the disproportionate responsibility and opportunity of high-income groups
- Linking personal choices to the systemic changes needed in politics, markets, and infrastructure

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · Sep 8

Here, social science is crucial. Lasting change depends on reshaping the cultural norms, social dynamics, and infrastructures that currently lock people into high-carbon behaviors.

And when done well, these shifts can substantially reduce emissions while enhancing health, wellbeing, and fairness.

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · Sep 8

Tackling demand is not only about asking people to consume less. It is about creating the social, political, and institutional conditions that make low-carbon living possible and attractive across the world.

But high-income countries and groups will have to fundamentally shift and reduce demand!

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · Sep 8

Demand-side solutions include:
✅ Shifting to more plant-based diets
✅ Reducing energy use in buildings via efficiency and behavior change
✅ Avoiding high-carbon mobility while expanding public and active transport
✅ Designing infrastructures to make low-carbon choices easier, attractive and fair

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · Sep 8

🌍🚨 We cannot solve the climate crisis without demand-side solutions!

The @ipcc.bsky.social is crystal clear: changing what we demand and how we live could reduce global emissions by 40–70% by 2050. This is not a marginal add-on. It must be at the heart of climate policy🧵
www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/w...

Chapter 5: Demand, services and social aspects of mitigation

.

www.ipcc.ch

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Reposted by Kristian Steensen Nielsen

Sandra Geiger @sandrajgeiger.bsky.social · Sep 7

🌏 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

It’s not that people doubt biodiversity is declining—it’s that we underestimate how many others already share this concern.

In our new Perspective, we review work on pluralistic ignorance and set out a research agenda to:

Understanding the role of pluralistic ignorance in biodiversity conservation: A research agenda

Most people believe that biodiversity loss is human-caused, yet they may not realize how many others share this belief. Such collective misperceptions…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Reposted by Kristian Steensen Nielsen

Dr. Aaron Thierry @thierryaaron.bsky.social · Sep 6

"Scientists and modelers have not merely warned of the #ClimateCrisis - they have also, often unwittingly, contributed to it by reinforcing an uncritical faith in technological salvation & sidelining more structural social transformations"

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

In tech we trust: A history of technophilia in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) climate mitigation expertise

This article examines the technocentric bias that characterizes climate mitigation literature, focusing on the reports of the IPCC's Working Group III…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Reposted by Kristian Steensen Nielsen

Bob Kopp @bobkopp.net · Sep 2

The Department of Energy hired five academics to raise doubts about climate change. 85+ climate experts (organized by @andrewdessler.com) reviewed their report. Our conclusion, detailed in 450 pages of analysis: it is biased, full of errors, and not fit to inform policy making.

DOEresponseSite

On July 29, 2025, the Department of Energy (DOE) published a report from its Climate Working Group (CWG). This report features prominently in the EPA's reconsideration of its 2009 Endangerment Finding...

sites.google.com

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Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · Sep 2

I really enjoyed my conversation with superstar Sophus zu Ermgassen and being on one of my favorite environmental podcasts

IUCN SSC CEC Behaviour Change Task Force @iucn-bctf.bsky.social · Sep 2

🌱 Podcast 🎧 Behavioural science for ecological economists, Season 4 opener of Economics for Rebels (ESEE).

Featuring @kristiansn89.bsky.social (Copenhagen Business School).

🎙️ Listen:

Economics for Rebels – Podcast

The world is on fire. We have to radically and rapidly transform every aspect of society to stay within 1.5 degrees of global warming. How is this possible? And how do we do this in a way that is fair? Ecological economists integrating ecological and critical social perspectives have long been working on ideas to bring about just sustainability transformations. This podcast aims at communicating these ideas in order to open them to critical discussion, from global problems to people’s everyday lives. – Listen to Economics for Rebels instantly on your tablet, phone or browser - no downloads needed.

podtail.com

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Reposted by Kristian Steensen Nielsen

IUCN SSC CEC Behaviour Change Task Force @iucn-bctf.bsky.social · Sep 2

🌱 Podcast 🎧 Behavioural science for ecological economists, Season 4 opener of Economics for Rebels (ESEE).

Featuring @kristiansn89.bsky.social (Copenhagen Business School).

🎙️ Listen:

Economics for Rebels – Podcast

The world is on fire. We have to radically and rapidly transform every aspect of society to stay within 1.5 degrees of global warming. How is this possible? And how do we do this in a way that is fair? Ecological economists integrating ecological and critical social perspectives have long been working on ideas to bring about just sustainability transformations. This podcast aims at communicating these ideas in order to open them to critical discussion, from global problems to people’s everyday lives. – Listen to Economics for Rebels instantly on your tablet, phone or browser - no downloads needed.

podtail.com

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Reposted by Kristian Steensen Nielsen

Jussi T. Eronen @jussiteronen.bsky.social · Sep 1

This is exactly right!

Kristian Steensen Nielsen @kristiansn89.bsky.social · Sep 1

⚖️ Personal action is not a substitute for systemic change. But it can enable it. When we act in the roles available to us, we can shift norms, shape demand, and strengthen political momentum, thereby helping to accelerate ambitious climate action across society.

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