Behavioral Economics and Climate Change: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

To gain an overview of the existing research landscape surrounding the application of behavioral economics to tackle climate change, this study conducts a bibliometric analysis (performance and network analyses) of Scopus-indexed 31 publications on behavioral economics and climate change from 2008 to 2022. Several prominent themes originate from the analysis. First, 2020 has been the most productive year as per total publications and 2008 has been most productive year as per total citation counts gathered by studies on behavioral economics and climate change. Second, the most prolific authors are based in the United Arab Emirates, the United States is the leading country in terms of publications, has the most robust co-authorship network and highest citations, while Europe is the top region in terms of funding such studies. Third, key topics and themes covered by studies focus the use of behavioral insights in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and climate change policy. Our analysis also suggests we need more behavioral economic research from both developed and developing world to tackle the global issue of climate change. Overall, the study can be a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners interested in the intersection of behavioral economics and climate change.

Keywords: Behavioral economics, climate change, bibliometric analysis

JEL Classification: D04, D90, Q54