How to Reframe Climate Policies for Public Support

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

🎯 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲? Economists love carbon taxes. Elegant, efficient, textbook-perfect. A price on emissions should steer us toward a cleaner future with minimal friction. But reality, as always, is messier. A new NBER paper (👉 https://lnkd.in/dfwRjZBz ) reveals what many Yellow Vest protestors already felt: 🔴 Carbon pricing disproportionately hurts younger, poorer, and less-educated households. 🔴 Pain isn’t just higher energy bills. It’s lower labour income, especially in rigid labor markets like Southern and Eastern Europe. 🔴 Retirees often benefit. They’re asset-rich and have indexed income. Pigouvian logic may hold in textbooks, but politics (and fairness) don’t follow linear equations. 🟡 The Yellow Vests weren’t anti-climate, they were anti-unfairness. This paper confirms: carbon taxes without redistribution deepen inequality, making them politically toxic. 📘 And it’s not just politics. As I’ve argued in my dissertation (👉 https://lnkd.in/dSt7XZnH ), pricing alone is systemically insufficient. It assumes frictionless markets, rational behavior, and institutional neutrality. But transitions require more than nudges, they demand transformation. 🔍 The authors offer three crucial insights for designing better climate policies: 1️⃣ Resistance to carbon taxes is rooted in real economic pain, not just ideology. Even small price increases can reduce household welfare significantly. 2️⃣ Macroeconomic channels matter more than price hikes. So we need tools beyond standard compensation, like green expansionary monetary policy to support incomes. 3️⃣ Intergenerational equity is key. The real burden falls on the young, not the old—targeted redistribution must reflect that. 🔀 So instead of clinging to price signals, let’s: ✔️ Ban fossil fuel extraction altogether. Just stop digging. ✔️ Set binding norms instead of fiddling with prices. ✔️ Invest massively in home insulation, public transport, and energy efficiency. Reduce demand instead of taxing it. ✔️ Support climate policy with macro tools and intergenerational fairness at its core. Maybe it’s time we stopped asking why people resist carbon pricing and start asking why we keep pretending they shouldn’t. #climatepolicy #carbonpricing #inequality #justtransition #energyefficiency #intergenerationalequity

The federal government is being ideologically restructured—and grant language is one of the frontlines. 🛑 Executive orders supporting equity, labor, tribal sovereignty, and environmental justice have been revoked 🛑 Core federal programs—workforce, housing, climate, small business—are being defunded or dismantled 🛑 Words like equity, inclusion, systemic racism, environmental justice, and marginalized communities are being stripped. But here’s what city leaders, nonprofits, and coalitions need to understand: 💡 Federal funding hasn’t stopped. Programs like DOT’s Safe Streets for All are still moving forward. Funding will continue to roll out over the Summer and Fall. 💡 You can still reach communities that have long been excluded from public investment. 💡 But you need to understand the new frame—and stay clear about your outcomes. Language shifts we’re seeing in real time: 🔹 Before: Black and Brown youth disconnected from workforce systems 🔸 Now: Emerging workers in regions with limited access to training and career pathways 🔹 Before: Environmental justice communities 🔸 Now: Neighborhoods facing infrastructure and public health challenges that threaten safety and quality of life 🔹 Before: Communities impacted by systemic racism 🔸 Now: Areas with limited access to good jobs, employers, and career-aligned training for working people 🔹 Before: Clean energy transition for frontline communities 🔸 Now: Energy innovation that enhances American energy independence, reliability, and domestic manufacturing 🔹 Before: Affordable housing for low-income communities 🔸 Now: Housing that expands choice, proximity to jobs, and access to opportunity for working families These aren’t superficial edits. They reflect a larger shift from justice frameworks to market logic—from naming harm to maximizing productivity. So what does that mean for your work? ✅ You can still fund housing, workforce, clean energy, broadband, and public infrastructure ✅ You can still design programs that support BIPOC, immigrant, and working-class communities ✅ But you’ll need to frame your outcomes around access, job creation, resilience, and regional competitiveness. There’s a difference between compromise and capitulation. Reframing your language doesn’t mean abandoning your values—it means getting your work funded in a hostile environment. If the only door open is universalism—walk through it with intention and clarity. Design for everyone. But define “everyone” in a way that still reaches those who’ve been historically left out. This is not about playing a game. It’s about protecting and funding real work in a system trying to erase the language of harm. 💬 I’ll be sharing more examples soon—if you work in a specific issue area and want help thinking it through, reach out. 🔁 Share this with anyone trying to figure out how to keep their programs funded while staying true to their mission.

Fairness is fuel. If people believe the transition is just, they move along. In France, nearly 2 million people are signing a petition against the Loi Duplomb, a law that reintroduces bee-killing pesticides and sidelines public oversight. In Italy, the Supreme Court just made history, confirming that climate justice is possible, and that even fossil giants like ENI can be held accountable. 📌 These stories echo the findings of a new EU-wide study: Willingness to support climate action is shaped more by trust, perceived fairness, and agency than by income or education. In other words: 1/ People act when they feel others are doing their share. 2/ They engage when decisions reflect their values, not just their wallets. 3/ They're ready to resist when justice is bypassed. In France, resistance is rising because a law was passed that ignores public health, environmental science, and small farmers’ livelihoods. In Italy, momentum is building because ordinary citizens were told: you’re right to care, and you’re right to act. So maybe the real climate divide isn’t economic. It’s between those who feel included... and those who don’t. ➡️ The EU report makes it clear: to speed up the transition, policies need to feel just, not just “green.” The key question for policymakers isn’t: How do we make this affordable? It’s: How do we make this fair, together? A holistic understanding of intertwined socio-demographic, economic, behavioural, and fairness factors is essential to design climate policies that are effective AND fair, inclusive, and capable of securing broad public support and engagement. Congratulations to the authors on this vital and timely work. 📖 Read the report: Perceptions of Fairness and Climate Action in the EU #ClimateJustice #GreenTransition #TrustMatters #Fairness #Italy #France #LoiDuplomb #GiustaCausa #PolicyDesign #EnergyTransition #EUClimatePact Alina Şandor, Nives Della Valle, Ph.D. Julia Le Blanc, Aistė Vaitkevičiūtė, Alessia Fulvimari European Commission https://lnkd.in/dfaSKyZc

Exciting New Findings: The Key to Boosting Public Support for Climate and Environmental Policies 🌱 As a co-founder of a renewable energy startup and a passionate advocate for climate action, you'll be thrilled to learn about a groundbreaking study that could revolutionize how we approach climate and environmental policies. A recent study highlighted in a notable scientific journal has made significant strides in understanding public support for climate action. Researchers found that targeted communication and education are crucial in enhancing public buy-in for environmental policies. By effectively bridging the information gap, individuals become more aware of the scientific consensus on climate change and the urgency of implementing robust policies. The findings suggest that well-informed individuals are more likely to support and participate in sustainable practices. This emphasizes the need for clear, accessible information that underscores the benefits and effectiveness of climate policies, fostering a more informed and engaged public ready to take action for the environment. To achieve this, the researchers suggest several strategies. 1️⃣ Firstly, Policymakers should craft effective communication using accessible language, simplifying complex concepts, and emphasizing the practical benefits of climate policies to engage the public. 2️⃣ Secondly, Incorporating personal experiences and local impacts in communication strategies makes climate issues more relatable and underscores their relevance, enhancing public engagement. 3️⃣ Continuous education and consistent updates on policy progress are crucial for building public trust and support for climate initiatives, encouraging a communal sense of responsibility and action. Additionally by employing these communication strategies, policymakers can boost public involvement and support for sustainable practices like transitioning to renewable energy, essential for combating climate change and promoting environmental sustainability. #ClimateAction #SustainableFuture #RenewableEnergy #PublicEngagement #EnvironmentalPolicy #ClimateChangeAwareness #GreenInitiatives #EcoFriendlyLiving #SolarPower #ClimateCommunication If you're interested in diving deeper into the study, you can find the full article here: [ https://lnkd.in/gHb9eBsX ]