To Promote Climate Action, Emotion May Matter More than Information

To promote climate action, emotion may matter more than information

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?

A meta-analysis of 71 studies involving 216,000 participants found climate messages evoking emotions through storytelling or awe at nature were more effective at motivating action and policy support than scientific facts, while appeals to personal responsibility had little impact.

How better stories could help drive climate action

After decades of telling people what the science says, new research suggests the missing ingredient may be something more human: emotion, storytelling and a sense of connection to what we want to protect. We have never had more information about climate change. We also have no shortage of campaigns telling us what we should do about it. But knowing something matters and feeling motivated to act are not necessarily the same thing. New research fr…