The new findings, published in Science Advances, found that while some interventions had effects, these varied depending on country, people’s initial climate beliefs, and which outcome was being measured. For instance, “doom and gloom” climate communications made people more likely to share climate information, but less likely to plant trees. The authors say that the small effects and high levels of pre-existing belief and policy support raise questions about how much “bottom-up” change can be made on a global level, and suggest that top-down change might need to be prioritised to achieve the emissions reduction necessary to stay within safe planetary limits.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2024/02/08/no-single-solution-for-changing-peoples-climate-beliefs-and-behaviours-expert-reaction/