In recent years, a global movement against climate change has been rising. Existing evidence on how these political actions impact real-world environmental behavior is scarce. In this paper, we employ electricity-use data, covering 1.5 M Italian households over the period 2015-2019 to show that climate strikes cause a significant reduction in energy consumption, although these effects are modest in magnitude and short-lived, as is typical of salience-induced behavioral changes. A granular measure of social media attention to climate change, derived from universal-coverage Twitter data, and sentiment analysis suggest that climate protests direct public attention towards climate change topics and foster emotions that are strong motivators for action, such as anger and positive feelings of solidarity. These resultsIn recent years, a global movement against climate change has been rising. Existing evidence on how these political actions impact real-world environmental behavior is scarce. In this paper, we employ electricity-use data covering 1.5 M Italian households over the period 2015-2019 to show that climate strikes cause a significant reduction in energy consumption, although these effects are modest in magnitude and short-lived, as is typical of salience-induced behavioral changes. A granular measure of social media attention to climate change, derived from universal-coverage Twitter data, and sentiment analysis suggest that climate protests direct public attention towards climate change topics and foster emotions that are strong motivators for action, such as anger and positive feelings of solidarity. These results suggest that episodes that heighten attention to climate change may lead to actual behavioral change, but their effect is small and short-lived. suggest that episodes that heighten attention to climate change may lead to actual behavioral change, but their effect is small and short-lived.
"The Effect of Air Purifiers in Schools ", with F.Granella, S.Renna, L.Sarmiento and M.Tavoni, 2025, pdf
AEA RCT Registry link; students' survey
We randomize the installation of air purifiers across primary school classrooms to reduce children's exposure to air pollution. The intervention reduces indoor PM2.5 concentrations by 32% and decreases student absenteeism by 12.5%. We find larger effects among students with higher pre-treatment absenteeism. The impact is also greater when outdoor air pollution is relatively low and diminishes as outdoor pollution intensifies, consistent with non-linear marginal effects of air quality on health. Treated students report fewer respiratory symptoms and exhibit greater awareness of air quality. Each avoided absence day costs approximately Euro 11, yielding a conservative cost-benefit ratio of one-to-nine.
Bonan, J., H.Kazianga and M.Mendola (forthcoming) "Agricultural Transformation and Farmers' Expectations: Experimental Evidence from Uganda", Review of Economics and Statistics, pdf, appendix, replication
Bonan, J., C.Cattaneo, G.D'Adda, A.Galliera and M.Tavoni (2025) "Social norms and tariff salience: An experimental study on household waste management", Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, pdf
Bonan, J., C.Cattaneo, G.D'Adda, and M.Tavoni (2024) "Heat of the moment: How temperature influences the search and purchase of energy-using appliances", Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, pdf
Bonan, J., C.Cattaneo, G.D'Adda, A.Galliera and M.Tavoni (2024) "Widening the scope: the direct and spillover effects of nudging water efficiency in the presence of other behavioral interventions", Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, pdf
Bonan, J., S.Burlacu and A.Galliera (2023) "Prosociality in variants of the dictator game: evidence from children in El Salvador", Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, pdf
Bleck, J., J.Bonan, P.LeMay-Boucher and B.Sarr (2023) "Drinking Tea with Neighbours: Social Capital and Social Trust in Mali”, American Political Science Review, pdf
Bonan, J., G.d'Adda, M.Mahmud, and F.Said (2023) "Nudging Payment Behaviour: Evidence from a Field Experiment on Pay-as-You-Go Off-Grid Electricity", World Bank Economic Review, 37 (4) 620-639, pdf
Bonan, J., P.LeMay-Boucher and D.Scott, (2022) “Can Hypothetical Time Discounting Rates Help Predict Actual and Incentivised Behaviour? Evidence from Senegal”, World Development, 159, pdf
Bonan, J., C.Cattaneo, G.D'Adda and M.Tavoni, (2021) "Can social information programs be more effective? The role of environmental identity for energy conservation", Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 108, pdf
Bonan, J., P.Battiston, J.Bleck, P.LeMay-Boucher, S.Pareglio, B.Sarr and M.Tavoni (2021) "Social Interaction and Technology Adoption: Experimental Evidence from Improved Cookstoves in Mali", World Development, 144 pdf , appendix
Bonan, J., C.Cattaneo, G.D'Adda and M.Tavoni (2020) "The interaction of descriptive and injunctive social norms in promoting energy conservation", Nature Energy 5(11): 900-909. pdf, Suppl. Info, Policy Brief
Bonan, J., Cattaneo, C., d’Adda, G. and M.Tavoni (2020) “Combining information on others’ energy usage and their approval of energy conservation promotes energy saving behaviour” Nature Energy 5, 832–833.
McNabb, K, P.LeMay-Boucher and J. Bonan (2019) "Enforcement Problems in ROSCAs: Evidence from Benin", European Journal of Development Research, 31(5): 1389-1415. pdf
Bonan, J., K. McNabb, P.LeMay-Boucher and Tomavo C.C. (2019) “Time preferences and commitment devices: evidence from ROSCAs and funeral groups in Benin ", Oxford Development Studies, 47(3): 356-372 . pdf
Bonan, J. and Pagani, L. (2018) "Junior Farmer Field Schools, Agricultural Knowledge and Spillover Effects: Quasi-experimental Evidence from Northern Uganda", Journal of Development Studies, 54(11): 2007-2022. pdf.
Bonan, J., P.LeMay-Boucher and M.Tenikue (2017) “Increasing anti-malaria bednet take-up using information and distribution strategies: Evidence from a field trial in Senegal”, Journal of Development Effectiveness, 9(4): 543-562. pdf
Bonan, J., Pareglio, S. and Tavoni M. (2017) "Access to Modern Energy: a Review of Barriers, Drivers and Impacts", Environment and Development Economics, 22(5): 491-516. pdf
Bonan, J., P.LeMay-Boucher, O.Dagnelie and M.Tenikue (2017) “The Impact of Insurance Literacy and Marketing Treatments on the Demand for Health Microinsurance in Senegal: A Randomized Evaluation”, Journal of African Economies, 26(2): 169-191. pdf
Bonan, J., V.Rotondi and S.Pareglio (2015) “Impact Evaluation of Agricultural Development Programs”, Rivista Internazionale di Scienze Sociali 4: 369-380.
Bonan, J., P.LeMay-Boucher and M.Tenikue (2014) “Household's willingness to pay for health microinsurance and its impact on actual take-up: results from a field experiment in Senegal”, Journal of Development Studies 50(10): 1445-1462. pdf
Bonan, J and X. Scheil-Adlung (2013) “Gaps in social protection for health and long-term care in Europe: Are the elderly faced with financial ruin?”, International Social Security Review 66(1): 25–48.
"Power Play: Balancing Efficiency and Protection in Fixed vs. Variable Electricity Pricing", with J.Lunghi, G.d'Adda, and C.Cattaneo
"Green Nudges and Information Avoidance: An Experimental Investigation with European Farmers", with J.Picard, S.Cerroni, J.Barreiro-Hurle, B.Ouvrard
"Farmers’ Acceptability and Perceived Efficacy of Green Nudges: A Best-Worst Scaling experiment in Europe", with F.R. Barba, J. Picard, S.Cerroni, J.Barreiro-Hurle, E.Wauters, A.Spriet, N.El Benni, F.Alcon
"Unpacking the Causes of Information Avoidance: an Experiment on Climate Change and Meat Consumption" with J.Picard and S.Cerroni
"Recalling Violence Exposure and Cognitive Function among Primary School Students in El Salvador", with S.Burlacu and A.Galliera
"Indigenous Associations and Public Goods Provision: Experimental Evidence from grins in Mali", J.Bleck and P.LeMay-Boucher