{"id":158783,"date":"2023-09-19T16:49:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T14:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=158783"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:58","slug":"students-willing-to-live-more-sustainable-still-one-in-five-commutes-by-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2023\/09\/19\/students-willing-to-live-more-sustainable-still-one-in-five-commutes-by-car\/","title":{"rendered":"RSM students willing to live more sustainable, still one in five commutes by car sometimes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many students want to behave more sustainable but following through is often difficult in reality. This follows from research conducted at the Rotterdam School of Management. The researchers try to figure out how to change that behaviour. Researcher Sebastian Gabel: \u201cYou collect reward points for flying, why not for not<\/em> flying?\u201d<\/p>\n

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Modes of transportation and water and energy consumption are points of attention for researchers Antonia Krefeld-Schwalb and Sebastian Gabel. \u2018How many minutes do you shower daily?\u2019 and \u2018How do you travel during summer or when you head home for Christmas?\u2019 are questions they are asking students.<\/p>\n

Attitude-behaviour gap<\/h2>

Most students at EUR indicate being worried about climate change and are willing to change their behaviour. But there is an attitude-behaviour gap: two-thirds of all consumers want to act more sustainably but fail to do so, follows from an earlier study<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Krefeld-Schwalb: \u201cThe majority of RSM students (81 per cent) indicate that most or even all of their meals contain meat, irrespective of whether students think they could improve their food choices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commuting to campus<\/h2>

\u201c20 per cent of the first year RSM students who participated in our survey have used their car for commuting to university.\u201d Krefeld-Schwalb was really surprised when she learned this. \u201cWith good public transport and the culture of cycling in the Netherlands, it was unbelievable that students still rely on cars.\u201d The main reason to use a car is whether the students have a car easily available. This often meant that students still live with their parents. \u201cThey might not have the means to afford housing in Rotterdam, close to campus\u201d, Krefeld-Schwalb explained.<\/p>\n

Their first study focused on RSM students, currently there is a second EUR-wide survey which is still open. Krefeld-Schwalb: \u201cStudents are often a mirror of society. Media may sometimes focus on small, extreme groups of students fighting for or against something, but actually the majority of this generation is moderate, just like the entire society.\u201d<\/p>\n

No judgement<\/h2>

The research is not judgmental but collaborative, aiming to find opportunities for change without imposing it on individuals. Gabel adds: \u201cDecision processes are so multifaceted. It\u2019s all about understanding. Data are valuable input for policy makers. We want to explore the trade-off between what is realistic and what is necessary to change. Everyone changing everything is just an illusion.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere can be negative effects of interventions\u201d, Gabel explains. \u201cImagine sending a message to meat-lovers, to become vegan. Well, some very strong reactions can be expected. Encouraging vegan food consumption is the wrong message for that person at that time.\u201d Tailoring the messages to individual\u2019s circumstances is crucial, Gabel emphasises.<\/p>\n

Students each respond differently to EUR\u2019s announcement of the campus becoming completely vegan by 2030. One view, from Max van Beurden (23, Sociology), is: \u201cI would quite like this. I am not a vegan, but I often eat vegetarian meals. If people really want to eat meat, they can always bring it to campus themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most effective nudge<\/h2>

Most respondents in the survey expect financial incentives and facilitation to work best. Max agrees: \u201cI am always on my bicycle, and I don\u2019t take long showers, but when I travel to South America, availability of options as well as comfort are a part of the decision. If there are more sustainable alternatives, I definitely prefer those.\u201d<\/p>\n

A main goal of the research is to eventually develop tools for policy makers, to more effectively influence individual decisions for the better. Researcher Sebastian Gabel: \u201cYou reward points for flying, why not for not<\/em> flying?\u201d This is an example of a nudge in the form of gamification. Gamification is proven to be effective in creating behavioural change as it simplifies a complex problem into an easily understandable \u2018game\u2019.<\/p>\n

Who are responsible: individuals, companies, or governments?<\/h2>

\u201cWe are more important than the government or big companies\u201d, Lou-Anne Wang (21, Management of International Social Challenges) thinks. \u201cIf we don\u2019t consume their products or use their services anymore, they will have to change. It\u2019s wrong to think that small steps don\u2019t have an impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Krefeld-Schwalb, the main responsibility lies with major companies, for example in the fossil fuel industry. \u201cDespite this, it\u2019s still essential to try and change individual behaviour. Individuals have roles in which they design choices for others. In particular RSM students are likely to become managers and consultants. Also, if a significant number of people change their behaviour, it can start a bigger transformation, the so-called social tipping point. A third reason is to avoid social unrest in response to new laws and regulations, as witnessed during the farmer protests in the Netherlands for example, it\u2019s important to prepare citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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