PSYCHOLOGY AND THE SUSTAINABLE TRANSITION

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Humanity is facing an unprecedented ecological crisis for which it is the main driving force. Scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change often express a concern that we may be approaching a tipping point for climate-induced events: a threshold beyond which it will no longer be possible to go back. This prospect does not breed optimism and hardly encourages action. Yet, people can counteract these dramatic changes, not only as consumers by reducing their carbon footprint, but also through their roles as investors, employees, community members, influencers, and citizens. Although globally, people report high levels of concern for climate change and a high willingness to act, this concern is often not reflected in people¿s actual behavior. What can explain this gap between people¿s reported desire to protect the environment and the lack of collective action around the environmental crises? Many factors can act as barriers to climate action, such as people¿s tendency to favor short-term outcomes over long-term outcomes, the tension between seeking a high social status and reducing one¿s carbon footprint, the feeling that it may be too late to act, or the feeling that taking action is only worth it if others are also taking action. By understanding these psychological and social barriers to climate action, policymakers and community leaders can pave the way for effective collective action.