Consumers: Can they, should they be nudged?

10th Jun 2010; 18:00

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RSA/Sky Sustainable Business Series

The RSA and Sky gather a panel of business leaders to consider the impact of new knowledge from the field of behavioural economics on our current understanding of sustainable business and our individual roles as consumers of goods and services.

Recent developments in behavioural economics are providing new ways of thinking about what makes us behave as we do and how we might seek to change our decision-making.

If, as individuals, we act on our short-term desires and not always in our long-term interests, what role could business play in influencing behaviour change and the wider social good?

If, as the evidence shows, we have developed as social beings, interdependent on each other, how can we be persuaded to make more ‘pro-social’ choices in what we buy and how we behave?

And if one of the things we need to do is consume less - energy or food for example – how can more people be persuaded to do so and what implications does this have for markets?

Speakers to include: Jeremy Darroch, Chief Executive and Executive Director, Sky; Sir Martin Sorrell, Chief Executive, WPP, one of the world's largest communications services groups; Dr Andy Wood, Managing Director, Adnams, one of the UK's most carbon-efficient brewers; Dr Sally Uren, Deputy Chief Executive, Forum for the Future.

Chair: Matthew Taylor, RSA Chief Executive

This is the second event in a major new lecture series with Sky, which aims to explore the role that business can play as we endeavour to create a more sustainable approach to our economy, society and environment.

Find out more about our first event in the series with CBI director general, Richard Lambert.

Suggested hashtag for Twitter users: #rsasky

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