To promote climate action, emotion may matter more than information

Promoting climate action often hinges on the power of emotion, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Geneva analyzed 71 studies involving a combined 216,000 participants to determine which communication strategies most effectively encourage climate action. The study, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, found that while many strategies can boost people's intentions and behaviors related to climate change, emotion-driven approaches tend to be more effective than those relying solely on facts.

The researchers identified 15 different communication strategies, including the use of factual information, emotional appeals, and principles of bounded rationality. Strategies that emphasized individual or collective responsibility, such as messages stating that success depends largely on the individual, showed little to no effect and may even provoke reactance.

However, emotionally engaging storytelling, awe-inspiring imagery of nature, and appeals to moral, ethical, or even religious considerations, which highlight our connection to the environment and our responsibility to preserve it, significantly outperformed other methods.

The researchers emphasize that even though the majority of communication strategies studied had a positive impact, the effectiveness of these strategies can be enhanced through repetition. As climate change remains a pressing global issue, the findings suggest that improving climate communication could significantly aid in turning knowledge into action.