ABSTRACT
An obvious pre-requisite of green behaviour is having the infrastructure available to allow that behaviour. This is analogous to the elephant having an alternative path in the first place – many organisations seem to expect individuals to make their own. A 'perverse incentive' is policy which encourages people to do the 'wrong' thing. These must be hunted down and eliminated with extreme prejudice. The best way to identify opportunities to shape the working environment to foster good behaviour is to ask employees. Other policy opportunities include: removing higher mileage rates for larger cars, incentivizing the purchase of low carbon vehicles for company cars, implementing a mileage rate for cycling, adding extra checks and balances to the purchase of hazardous materials, and while providing lists of non-hazardous alternatives. Where perverse incentives are found, they need to be flipped around to nudge people towards sustainable behaviour.
