Promoting Green IT behavior related to the Cloud use among students: Dynamic norm and autonomy-support messages as levers of change

• A pilot study identified storing data locally as a high-impact, low-adoption Green IT behavior among French university students. • Two experiments (N = 375; 368) tested dynamic norm and autonomy-support messages promoting local data storage over Cloud use. • Dynamic norm messages significantly increased behavioral intention, mediated by pre-conformity. • No intervention had a significant effect on self-reported behavior two weeks later, suggesting intention-behavior gaps. • An integrative data analysis (N = 743) confirmed dynamic norms’ influence on intention and motivation, but not on behavior adoption. The environmental impact of digital technologies is growing, contributing significantly to global carbon emissions and e-waste. Individual digital behaviors, such as reliance on Cloud storage, play an important role. We hypothesize that combining dynamic norm and autonomy-support interventions may enhance Green IT behaviors’ adoption. A pilot study (N = 286) identified storing data locally rather than on the Cloud as a low-adoption, high-impact behavior among students. 2 experimental studies (N = 375; 368) tested the effects of dynamic norm messages, with and without autonomy-support, on intention and self-reported behavior 2 weeks later. An integrative data analysis (N = 743) combined results from both studies. The messages increased intentions, mediated by pre-conformity, while the combination of dynamic norm and autonomy-support enhanced autonomous motivation. However, none had a significant impact on self-reported behavior adoption. This study offers initial insight into the effectiveness of combined dynamic norm interventions on Green IT behavior.