How do we get people to care about climate change?

How can we get people to actually care about climate change? Why aren't people doing more about it?

International surveys show that most people agree that climate change is happening, and that more should be done about it. Despite that, societies need much more progress to reach climate mitigation goals, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

At Essex, let’s explore how the next generation of psychology students could turn this tide.

‘Thinking Green’ in a psychology degree

In our final-year module Thinking Green: Introduction to the Psychology of Pro-environmental Behaviour, we use insights from social, developmental, and environmental psychology to explore this gap between climate concern and action. Students learn the importance of perceiving:

• personal risks from climate change
• pro-environmental values
• early childhood experiences with nature

We also move beyond individual consumer behaviour to look at actions within climate-impacting industries, as well as collective action.

The importance of green thinking

Public

Although most people in the UK say they are concerned about climate change, comparatively few agree that climate change will affect them personally. Further, even fewer believe that climate change is currently impacting them.

Psychological investigations of how people perceive risks have shown that people are only motivated to act if they think that they or their families are personally at risk. Otherwise, the problem does not seem immediate enough to require them to act. This is especially true when other, seemingly more immediate, needs require our attention, like work or school obligations.

Thus, one the most impactful interventions to encourage pro-climate behaviour is to help people to see how climate change is relevant to them personally. Also, telling folks that their peers have begun more climate-conscious actions can help people feel more confident that they can also change their habits.

Business

But beyond encouraging the actions of individual consumers, psychological research can also be used to encourage pro-climate action in major industries.

For example, research has shown that many crop producers feel it is their sense of duty to protect the environment, and are more likely to implement climate-conscious growing practices when they feel supported by government policies.

Also, there is some indication that the personality of a CEO predicts how environmentally conscious their business practices will be.

Eager to help?

If you’re interested in using psychology to progress climate action, an undergraduate psychology degree at Essex might be for you.

Further Reading

Smith, E. K., & Mayer, A. (2018). A social trap for the climate? Collective action, trust and climate change risk perception in 35 countries. Global Environmental Change, 49, 140-153.

Leiserowitz, A., Roser-Renouf, C., Marlon, J., & Maibach, E. (2021). Global Warming’s Six Americas: a review and recommendations for climate change communication. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 42, 97-103.

Shaffer‐Morrison, C. D., Dillman‐Hasso, N. H., & Wilson, R. S. (2025). Sowing seeds for the future: Future time perspective and climate adaptation among farmers. British Journal of Social Psychology, 64(2), e12850.