Lucy Page, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Pittsburgh, will present the EEEP Seminar Series, “Got a Beef with Beef? Evidence from a Large-Scale Carbon Labeling Experiment” on February 26, 2025.
Abstract:
Food systems account for approximately one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon-footprint labeling is an increasingly common tool to shift consumers towards lower-carbon diets. In a randomized field experiment with over 200,000 customers at a major US food-services company, we find that carbon labels increase customer retention by 1.1% and company profits by 0.9%, despite reducing customers’ carbon footprints by only 0.6%. These profit effects suggest that carbon labeling may remain a common sustainability tool, despite its small environmental benefits. Moreover, label targeting is crucial: labels may increase footprints among those who do not agree with their purpose.
Bio:
Lucy Page is an Assistant Professor in the University of Pittsburgh Department of Economics. She finished her PhD at MIT in June 2024. She studies environmental economics, with lines of work focusing on individual and collective action on climate change in the US and on payments for ecosystem services in India.