Personally Relevant Climate Change

TLDR

Understanding citizens’ attitudes and behaviors is essential to mitigate climate change, yet little is known about which factors predict engagement or which messaging strategies are most effective. The study surveyed 324 residents in British Columbia who read either a local, a global, or no climate‑change message and reported their engagement, place attachment, and demographic characteristics. Place attachment, exposure to a local message, and female gender uniquely predicted climate‑change engagement, supporting proposed barriers to action and informing communication guidelines.

Abstract

To help mitigate the negative effects of climate change, citizens’ attitudes and behaviors must be better understood. However, little is known about which factors predict engagement with climate change, and which messaging strategies are most effective. A community sample of 324 residents from three regions in British Columbia read information either about a climate change impact relevant to their local area, a more global one, or, in a control condition, no message. Participants indicated the extent of their climate change engagement, the strength of their attachment to their local area, and demographic information. Three significant unique predictors of climate change engagement emerged: place attachment, receiving the local message, and gender (female). These results provide empirical support for some previously proposed barriers to climate action and suggest guidelines for effective climate change communication.