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The global research team has initiated the development of a 'behavioral science' tool for policymakers and advocacy groups.
A team of scientists has developed a tool to boost global climate awareness and action by highlighting effective messaging themes based on experimental research.
A study involving 250 researchers and over 59,000 participants from 63 countries, including Algeria, China, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, and the United States, developed the tool.
Madalina Vlasceanu, an assistant professor at New York University's Department of Psychology, developed a tool that can be used by lawmakers and practitioners to generate support for climate policy or encourage action by testing the effectiveness of various climate change messages.
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Researchers developed a "Climate Intervention Web App" to cater to various targeted audiences in studied countries, considering factors such as nationality, political ideology, age, gender, education, and income level.
Policymakers and advocates can optimize their messaging by assessing the most promising messages for their publics, according to Kimberly Doell, a senior scientist at the University of Vienna.
Previous studies on sustainable behavior interventions have primarily focused on individual private mitigation actions, such as recycling and public transportation, rather than a broader range of climate-friendly activities and systemic solutions. The focus on western, industrialized nations raises questions about the applicability of these findings.
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The authors of a new paper tested various messages about climate change, including "doom and gloom" scenarios, past successful actions, and future generations' actions. They also asked participants to write letters to future generations outlining their current climate actions to make the planet livable by 2055. The messages also highlighted scientific consensus and framed climate action as either patriotic or popular choice.
The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of climate-related interventions by assessing participants' support for various views, policies, and actions related to climate change. The researchers also assessed participants' willingness to share climate-mitigation information on social media, such as reducing meat and dairy consumption for only two out of three meals per day, to decrease food-related carbon emissions by 60%. Data was collected between July 2022 and May 2023.
A study found that 86% of respondents acknowledged the dangers of climate change, and over 70% supported systemic action. This indicates a global consensus on the importance of climate mitigation at the systemic level. The responses varied by location and demographics, but the overwhelming global consensus on the issue is crucial for addressing the problem.
The study found that countries responded differently to the same messages or interventions. Romania saw a 9% increase in support for climate-friendly policies when scientists emphasized scientific consensus on climate change, while Canada saw a 5% decrease. The intervention to write a letter to a socially close child increased climate policy support in the US, Brazil, Ghana, Russia, and Nigeria, but slightly decreased support in the UAE, Serbia, and India. These findings highlight the importance of understanding and addressing climate change in different countries.
Participants on social media showed increased willingness to share climate change information after all interventions tested. The largest gains occurred after reading "gloom and doom" messages about the negative impacts of climate change, with participants being 12% more likely to share pro-environmental messages on these platforms.
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A study has found that climate messaging can be effective in encouraging action, but it may also depress and demoralize the public. The study found that "doom and gloom" messaging was effective in stimulating social media sharing, but it decreased support for tree-planting, a more labor-intensive task. This messaging also decreased policy support among climate-change skeptics. The findings suggest that effective outreach depends on people's pre-existing belief in climate change, and that policymakers and advocates need to tailor their outreach to the characteristics of their audience. The study highlights the need for policymakers and advocates to tailor their outreach to the characteristics of their audience to effectively engage with climate change.
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