{
  "id": 4956662,
  "title": "To promote climate action, emotion may matter more than information",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/to-promote-climate-action-emotion-may-matter-more-than-information",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-01T22:40:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-climate-action-emotion.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nThe 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.",
  "summary": "Every year, public authorities and nongovernmental organizations spend millions on communication campaigns designed to encourage people to take action on climate change. But which strategies work best? Should campaigns rely on fear or positive messages, prioritize facts or appeal to emotions, and focus on words or visuals?",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}