A Megastudy of Behavioral Interventions to Catalyze Public, Political, and Financial Climate Advocacy

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Addressing climate change depends on large-scale system changes, which require public advocacy. Here, we identified and tested 17 expert-crowdsourced theory-informed behavioral interventions designed to promote public, political, and financial advocacy in a large quota-matched sample of US residents (n = 31,324). The most consistently effective intervention emphasized both the collective efficacy and emotional benefits of climate action, increasing advocacy by up to 10 percentage points. This was also the top intervention among participants identifying as Democrats. Appealing to binding moral foundations, such as purity and sanctity, was also among the most effective interventions, showing positive effects even among participants identifying as Republicans. These findings provide critical insights to policymakers and practitioners aiming to galvanize the public behind collective action and advocacy on climate change with affordable and scalable interventions.
Original languageEnglish
Article numberpgaf400
JournalPNAS Nexus
Volume5
Issue number1
Number of pages16
ISSN2752-6542
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2026

Bibliographical note

54 authors have contributed to this article. The authors included in this registration are the corresponding author, CBS-affiliated authors, as well as authors from other Danish universities.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 13 - Climate Action
    SDG 13 Climate Action

Keywords

  • Climate change
  • Collective action
  • Advocacy
  • Interventions
  • Megastudy

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