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Talking about Climate Change Mitigation: People’s Views on Different Levels of Action

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  • Sarah Becker

    (School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer BN1 9QH, UK)

  • Paul Sparks

    (School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer BN1 9QH, UK)

Abstract

Previous research has examined public views on climate change and pro-environmental behavior; however, there has been little focus on in-depth qualitative examination of views on mitigation strategies carried out by different social actors. This paper examines how people discuss strategies to mitigate climate change and the relative responsibilities of individuals, the UK government, and corporations. Twenty people were interviewed about what they thought should be done to reduce the degree of climate change. Three main themes in their responses are identified: (1) representations of climate change; (2) responsibility for action; and (3) opposing environmental and economic interests. Overall, there was support for a variety of climate change mitigation strategies. There was some emphasis on individual behavior change combined with suggestions about greater information provision and the importance of personal choice. Although some participants criticized economic and profit-oriented structures, there was a strong sense among participants that change in this regard was unlikely. An expansion of examples of alternative strategies to address climate change could contribute towards transcending individualized approaches and accentuate perceptions of possibilities for significant social change.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah Becker & Paul Sparks, 2018. "Talking about Climate Change Mitigation: People’s Views on Different Levels of Action," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-18, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:5:p:1357-:d:143519
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Stuart Bryce Capstick, 2013. "Public Understanding of Climate Change as a Social Dilemma," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(8), pages 1-18, August.
    6. Daniel Nyberg & Christopher Wright, 2012. "Justifying Business Responses to Climate Change: Discursive Strategies of Similarity and Difference," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(8), pages 1819-1835, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jason Miklian & Kristian Hoelscher, 2020. "Entrepreneurial Strategies to Address Rural-Urban Climate-Induced Vulnerabilities: Assessing Adaptation and Innovation Measures in Dhaka, Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-19, November.
    2. Zhongqiong Qu & Yiming Lu & Zhiqiu Jiang & Ellen Bassett & Tao Tan, 2018. "A Psychological Approach to ‘Public Perception’ of Land-Use Planning: A Case Study of Jiangsu Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-20, August.

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