When it comes to climate action - words matter
Photo credit: New York City Department of Transportation.
It takes a lot for people to take action on climate change.
The average person needs to see and hear about climate change at least 80 times a month, possibly more, to become an “active supporter of significant climate action,” according to non-profit the Potential Energy Coalition.
While exposure to climate change messaging is important, the way climate change actions are communicated is equally so.
When looking to promote positive climate actions, advocacy groups, governments, and climate communicators need to pay close attention to how small nuances in language and word choice impact the way audiences respond to climate change messaging.
Language makes a difference
Research from Rare (a behaviour change organisation) and Count Us In (a global climate movement) shows how tweaks to climate action language can improve the chances of people taking positive climate actions.
Rare and Count Us In tested climate action labels with over 16,000 people in four countries (the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia) to see how effective they were at driving action.
This research found that “often terms that seem appealing are not always the best to compel action,” writes Rare’s Rakim Rakhimov in a post for the Rare x Count Us In: Insights newsletter).
For example, “Eat more veggies” performed better than “eat more plant-based” or “eat plant-rich.” For reducing car usage, “walk and cycle more” did better than “advance to car-free” and other similar labels.
The researchers hypothesize why some labels did better than others. They suggest that “eat more veggies” likely did better than “eat more plant-based” or “eat plant rich”because it is more informal.
“Walk and cycle more” probably performed better than its alternatives, because it doesn’t feel sacrificial (like “advance to car-free”) or difficult to do (like “take a bus, train, carpool, or bike”), and is clear (unlike “ride there for less”), explains Rakhimov.
Photo credit: Markus Spiske/Pexels.
Communicators need to check climate language
The research from Rare and Count Us In is valuable for climate change communicators, governments, advocacy groups, and responsible businesses working to promote positive climate change actions.
It is a reminder that when it comes to climate change communication, words matter. Effective climate change communication requires testing climate action language with target audiences, paying close attention to how small adjustments to terminology can make a difference in how people respond to climate change messaging.
Rare and Count Us In tested variants of 16 climate action labels. To learn more about which labels worked well and which didn’t, read the full post at Rare x Count Us In: Insights.
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Brendon Bosworth is a science communication trainer and the principal consultant at Human Element Communications.