Why we underestimate effective climate protection measures – and what that means for our mobility
Many people carefully separate their waste, turn off the lights, and save hot water. They believe they are doing the climate a great service. However, a new study by the University of Geneva shows that these everyday measures are systematically overestimated. The truly effective climate protection measures , on the other hand, are massively underestimated.
The study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, comes to a clear conclusion: weak measures such as recycling or saving paper have only a small to moderate effect. Highly effective measures – such as avoiding air travel, eating less beef, or switching from private cars to alternative mobility – are, on the other hand, rated significantly too low.
The psychology behind the misjudgments
Two mechanisms explain this phenomenon:
- Availability heuristic: What often appears in the media and at school seems more effective to us – even if it brings little benefit.
- Motivated Reasoning: We rate those measures particularly highly that we already implement ourselves. This makes us feel better, even if the climate protection effect remains small.
This leads to many people acting in good faith – but at the wrong lever.
What this means for mobility
Private car ownership and frequent driving are among the largest individual sources of CO₂. At the same time, many underestimate the positive effect of using a personal car less often or not at all. This is exactly where Sponti-Car comes in.
With a shared electric car from Sponti-Car:
- you no longer need your own vehicle
- you drive electrically and CO₂-neutrally
- you save fixed costs, parking space, and maintenance
- you remain flexible and mobile
This is not a symbolic gesture. It is one of the most effective individual climate protection measures you can take – and exactly the one that, according to the study, is most underestimated.
From knowledge to action
The Geneva study shows: knowledge alone is not enough. Many people know the effective measures but misjudge their impact. That is why it is important to offer concrete and simple alternatives.
Sponti-Car makes the switch easy:
- Electric cars directly in the village or in the housing development
- Booking via app or phone
- No membership fee
- Transparent prices from 5 francs per hour
You are not just acting «somehow» climate-friendly. You are tackling one of the most effective levers.
Conclusion: Prioritize effective climate protection measures
Recycling and turning off lights are good – but they don't replace real levers. Those who truly want to help the climate should prioritize effective climate protection measures . Switching from your own car to shared electric mobility is one of them.
With Sponti-Car , you can implement this today.
