Please reduce your air travel emissions: A randomised controlled social comparison experiment at work

Little is known about how to effectively reduce high-emission lifestyles, particularly in the context of work-related behaviours, and there is a lack of experimental evidence testing interventions with high-emitting individuals. This randomized controlled field experiment examined whether social comparison feedback can effectively reduce air travel emissions among high-emission employees in a professional services firm. A total of N = 180 senior staff with above-average flight-related CO₂ emissions either received a generic leadership e-mail urging emission reduction (control) or a personalized message that included individualized emissions data and a comparison to departmental peers (intervention). Emissions were tracked over a three-month period post-intervention and compared to the same period in the previous year. While both groups resisted the company-wide trend of increased air travel emissions relative to the previous year, the social comparison intervention did not produce a statistically significant effect beyond the control condition. This null result raises important questions about the effectiveness of low-cost nudging interventions for reducing work-related emissions among high-impact individuals and suggests that more structural policy measures or organizational rules may be required. As one of the first randomized controlled trials targeting work-related air travel behaviour among high emitters, this study provides critical evidence to inform the design of future climate mitigation strategies in organizational settings.