Collective climate action: When do people turn into collective environmental agents?

Immo Fritsche; Torsten Masson

doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.05.001

Collective climate action: When do people turn into collective environmental agents?

Curr Opin Psychol. 2021 Dec:42:114-119. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.05.001. Epub 2021 May 15.

Authors

Immo Fritsche¹, Torsten Masson²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: Immo.Fritsche@uni-leipzig.de.
² Department of Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Leipzig, Germany.

PMID: 34130199
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.05.001

Abstract

Effectively protecting the climate requires the action of groups. In the present review article, we aim to understand when individuals turn into collective climate actors. We first discuss pertinent models of group-based action and their relevance for explaining climate action. Then, we review recent research on how collective climate action is driven by ingroup identification, social norms, group-based emotions, and collective efficacy. Finally, we focus on when and why people feel a sense of collective agency aiming at inspiring a novel research agenda on collective climate action.

Keywords: Climate change; Collective action; Collective agency; Pro-environmental behavior; Social identity.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Emotions*
Humans
Social Identification*