Abstract
Setting air conditioners to unnecessarily low temperatures in summer generates a substantial amount of carbon emissions. This study aims to change air conditioner use by tourists – consumers whose sense of moral obligation is reduced and, with it, their level of pro-environmental behaviour. We test several theory-informed interventions aimed at encouraging hotel guests to set their air conditioners to comfortable but less energy-intensive temperatures. We compare cognitive-based interventions, such as activating social norms, with affective-based interventions that anthropomorphise air conditioners to evoke empathy. Intervention effectiveness is tested across three studies: a traditional survey experiment (to measure the manipulation of target constructs), two ecologically enhanced survey experiments (measuring behaviour intentions), and a field experiment measuring air conditioner use indirectly using wireless temperature sensors. Results indicate that interventions leveraging social norms and anthropomorphism, specifically those evoking negative emotions like exhaustion and anger, significantly influence air conditioner use. Enhanced survey formats cannot replace field experiments to assess an intervention’s impact on behaviour. Our findings suggest that simple, cost-effective interventions can promote more sustainable air conditioning practices in hotels, ultimately contributing to reduced carbon emissions and operational costs.