Leveraging Gamification in E-Commerce for Climate Change: A Persuasive Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) Approach

The rising global population has intensified climate change, with 2022 evidencing the highest record of greenhouse gas emissions, at 53.79 billion metric tons. By 2024, the average surface temperature has also surpassed the 1.5-degree threshold. Despite increasing occurrences of climate change, there exists a gap between knowledge and acting towards mitigating climate change. This study integrates mini-games and gamification into an e-commerce mobile app as (in) direct persuasive mechanisms to reduce individual carbon footprints and increase willingness to mitigate/act. Hypotheses are: (1) climate change-oriented gamification in e-commerce will increase awareness of climate change; (2) gamification will encourage individuals and communities to act towards reducing climate change; (3) gamification, e-commerce, and a carbon footprint calculator will help reduce carbon footprint. Alpha-beta testing based on the Technology Acceptance Model, finds that the biggest difference between pre-post-game introduction is personal carbon footprint, followed by the level of willingness to engage with climate change, possible initiatives for mitigating climate change, and cause-effect purchase decisions in the ‘Shop’ feature. The transition from a simple calculator to a visualized carbon footprint report, the change of real-life challenges into interactive mini games, highlights the importance of direct contextualization and immediate relevance. However, the study faces limitations, due to small sample size, and reliance on generalized emission data, which affects the accuracy of the carbon footprint calculator.