Why Climate Action Requires Shared Visibility

89% of people want their governments to do more to address the climate crisis 🌎 New global research featured in The Guardian reveals a critical disconnect between public opinion and perceived social norms regarding climate action. A comprehensive survey across 125 countries representing 96% of global emissions shows that 89% of respondents believe their governments should take stronger measures to address the climate crisis. However, most people significantly underestimate how many others share this view—creating a perception gap that contributes to widespread inaction. This phenomenon aligns with what social scientists refer to as the “spiral of silence.” When individuals assume they are in the minority, they become less likely to express their views or support policy initiatives. Over time, this misperception becomes self-reinforcing, suppressing visible momentum for climate solutions. Experimental evidence cited by The Guardian supports the importance of correcting these misperceptions. In behavioral studies, participants who were informed that most people support climate action contributed significantly more to climate-related causes. This demonstrates how perceived norms directly influence individual behavior. The findings also reveal that willingness to act is global and cross-cutting. In China, 97% of respondents support stronger government intervention. In the United States, the figure stands at three-quarters. Even in high-emission petrostates such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, a majority expressed willingness to allocate a portion of their income to climate efforts. Policy-making has not kept pace with public sentiment. In the United Kingdom, while 72% of the public supports onshore wind developments, only 19% of Members of Parliament correctly perceive this level of support. This misalignment between political judgment and actual public opinion delays or derails climate-related policy decisions. Communicating accurate data on public support for climate action may represent one of the most efficient, scalable interventions available. Social norm correction strategies are low-cost, evidence-based, and capable of catalyzing large-scale behavioral change across demographics and regions. As The Guardian concludes, making the silent majority visible is essential. Strategic communication that reinforces true public sentiment can help unlock social tipping points, strengthen climate policy, and accelerate the transition toward a low-carbon, resilient future. Source: The Guardian #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #climatechange

A recent study highlighted by Pilita Clark in the Financial Times sheds light on a striking disconnect: while 69% of people globally are willing to contribute 1% of their household income to fight climate change, the majority believe they are in the minority, thinking only 43% would do the same. I believe that this significant perception gap is partly due to the overwhelming spread of anti-climate action messages that overshadow the essential, yet underrepresented, facts provided by climate scientists. The conversation around climate action is being skewed by negativity and misinformation, preventing a realistic understanding of people's willingness to take action. Furthermore, we face another crucial gap: the disconnect between individual recognition of global warming and a collective consciousness about the issue. Many of us acknowledge the threat and are even prepared to contribute financially towards its mitigation. However, this awareness does not always translate into collective action. This could be because individuals feel - or were made to feel - that their contributions are too small to make a difference or they perceive a general indifference from the broader public. Bridging this gap between individual and collective awareness is vital for mobilizing concerted action against climate change. Addressing these perception gaps could indeed revolutionize the debate around climate policy as well. It shows that, contrary to the divisive rhetoric often seen in the media (especially right-wing media), there is broad support for meaningful climate action. This collective willingness challenges the narrative pushed by extreme right-wing groups that downplay the urgency of climate issues, revealing their views as not representative of the general populace. In the context of climate policy, this understanding could be a game-changer. Policies that might have seemed politically unviable due to a perceived lack of public support could receive the backing they (desperately) need. Governments and policymakers could be emboldened to propose and implement ambitious climate strategies, knowing there's a silent majority ready to support them. This shift could lead to more aggressive action against global warming, aligning policy more closely with the scientific consensus on what needs to be done to mitigate climate risks. PS: I urge you to also read the comments under the FT article to see the level of organized scepticism about climate change. It underscores the importance of our challenge but also highlights the silent majority's potential power to influence climate policy positively. #ClimateAction #Sustainability #EnvironmentalPolicy #GlobalWarming #ClimateCrisis

😮 We underestimate how much others support climate action—and that’s an opportunity   Most people genuinely support climate-friendly actions and policies, but new research from Rare's Climate Culture Index shows we consistently underestimate how many of our neighbours feel the same—this gap is called the ‘normative bubble’. For example: 🔹 80% of people support incentives for home solar panels. 🔹 70% back rebates for electric vehicles. ❌ But many wrongly assume there’s less support than there actually is. WHY DOES THIS MATTER? People are far more likely to act sustainably when they see others doing it. Seeing others take action: ✅ Boosts confidence. ✅ Makes sustainable choices feel easier. ✅ Creates momentum for wider change. 💬 “The strongest unique predictor of intention to take high-impact climate action is whether a person believes that other people are already taking that action.”   HOW DO WE POP THIS 'NORMATIVE BUBBLE'? We need to make climate-positive actions easier, clearer and visible, e.g.: ➡️ Break sustainable actions into achievable steps (e.g. EV test drives). ➡️ Provide clear, practical guidance (e.g. home energy consultations). ➡️ Make climate-positive behaviours highly visible (e.g. storytelling, media).   The more we highlight real community enthusiasm for sustainable living, the easier and more attractive these choices become.   THE OPPORTUNITY? To drive real change, we need to put behaviour change at the heart of programmes and policies—asking ourselves: if this is the action we want people to take, what’s preventing it, and how can we overcome these barriers? 🧐   P.S. This research is US-based, but I think it’s reasonable to assume similar patterns apply elsewhere. What do you think? Julia Terlet Livvy Drake Sophie Attwood PhD Liz Barker Cortney Price Julia Hammann Laura Sommer, PhD Matthias Höppner   📖 Read the full article by Kevin Green and Rakhim Rakhimov here: https://lnkd.in/eJvcpSts #behaviouralscience #behavioralscience #sustainability #climateaction

When we know that our friends, neighbours, or colleagues support a particular viewpoint, we’re much more inclined to support it ourselves. A survey that just came out, found that across 125 countries, 89% of people want their governments to do more to combat climate change on average. It also found that over 66% of people said they would be willing to contribute 1% of their income to help the cause, yet they believed only 43% of others would be willing to do the same. So most of the world’s population wants stronger climate action. They just don’t realize that they are a majority. This perception gap matters because social norms shape behaviour: when people realize others care, they’re far more likely to act. At Good Business, we apply this principle directly through initiatives like our Gates Foundation-funded SKY Girls campaign, where social marketing reframes non-smoking as a normative choice for teenage girls, using peer influence to drive lasting change. The same logic applies to climate action. For instance, in an experiment, participants who were told that 79% of people believe citizens should fight climate change donated more to a carbon-cutting charity than those who underestimated this norm. The fight against climate change can feel isolating, but sharing our values and commitments-whether among businesses, individuals, or policymakers-can harness the power of social norms to drive collective action and real change. See: https://lnkd.in/eYicPznE Illustration by Shirin Ørberg