System Justification, the Denial of Global Warming, and the Possibility of “System-Sanctioned Change”

TLDR

Despite ample evidence of climate change, public polls reveal widespread denial and resistance to environmental action. The study posits that this denial and resistance arise from a motivation to defend and justify the societal status quo. The findings indicate that system‑justification drives environmental denial and reduces pro‑environmental action, yet framing such actions as patriotic and status‑quo‑consistent can mitigate this effect.

Abstract

Despite extensive evidence of climate change and environmental destruction, polls continue to reveal widespread denial and resistance to helping the environment. It is posited here that these responses are linked to the motivational tendency to defend and justify the societal status quo in the face of the threat posed by environmental problems. The present research finds that system justification tendencies are associated with greater denial of environmental realities and less commitment to pro-environmental action. Moreover, the effects of political conservatism, national identification, and gender on denial of environmental problems are explained by variability in system justification tendencies. However, this research finds that it is possible to eliminate the negative effect of system justification on environmentalism by encouraging people to regard pro-environmental change as patriotic and consistent with protecting the status quo (i.e., as a case of “system-sanctioned change”). Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.