How to motivate collective action on climate

What does it take to spur individuals to act as a group with a shared purpose on climate change? According to a new Stanford-led study, the key is to show them how collective actions on climate have made a difference and often generate good vibes for participants. 

A decade after nearly 200 world leaders agreed in Paris to limit climate change, solar power has become the fastest-growing source of new electricity and dozens of countries have cut emissions while growing their economies. Globally, emissions from burning fossil fuels – the largest contributor to human-caused climate change – have slowed but not declined. 

“Structural change is truly what’s needed, but you can’t get structural change without individuals demanding it,” said Madalina Vlasceanu, an assistant professor of environmental social sciences in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and senior author of the study, which appears Jan. 27 in the journal PNAS Nexus.

Vlasceanu and her team recruited more than 30,000 U.S. residents to test 17 different psychology-backed interventions intended to encourage people to join a collective climate action, such as participating in a public demonstration or writing to a representative. The interventions featured videos, images, text, and interactive elements, such as prompts to write a short reflection.

The top intervention provided examples of past collective efforts on climate that have influenced public policy, showed a short video conveying the energy at climate marches, and invited participants to recall or imagine forming friendships through climate action. The intervention closed with a message that joining collective actions can boost happiness and build social connections.

“People really engage in collective action if they are made to feel that it will matter, that it will have an impact and create structural change, while also benefiting them personally,” said lead study author Danielle Goldwert, a PhD student at New York University.