The Little Book of Green Nudges: 40 Nudges to Spark Sustainable Behaviour on Campus is a concise, user-friendly introduction to the concept “nudging” at higher education institutions. It was jointly produced by the UN Environment Programme, the Behavioural Insights Team, and GRID-Arendal.

Behavioural science shows that simple nudges towards everyday greener decisions can help people develop sustainable habits and live more in line with their environmental values. Nudges can be particularly powerful on higher education campuses, where students are developing routines and values that can last a lifetime.

Examples of effective nudges for campuses:

• Eliminate trays in cafeterias to reduce food waste

• Use appealing descriptions for plant-based dishes

• Make recycling bins eye-catching

• Provide more spaces for parking bicycles and fewer for parking cars

• Set up a group to share leftover food

The Little Book of Green Nudges summarizes the evidence about what types of nudges work well, explains how to implement example nudges, and offers guidance for creating new nudges tailored to specific campus communities.

Tags: education energy waste green nudges transport