Climate Action (Goal 13): The role of climate beliefs, health security and tourism prioritisation in 30 Sub-Saharan African countries

Abstract

Empirical studies on the reasons for public support for climate action remain limited in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) despite the escalating climate crises and the urgent need to combat it. The current study addressed this evidentiary deficit by examining the influence of climate beliefs, national health security and tourism prioritisation on residents’ support for climate action. We used a dataset from a social survey among 20,258 climate-aware individuals in 30 SSA countries for the analyses. The findings confirm our hypotheses that believers of anthropogenic climate change are more supportive of climate action and increasing national health security decreases residents’ support for climate action. Counterintuitively, a nation’s prioritisation of travel and tourism undermined residents’ support for climate action. While no gendered differences existed in these relationships, sub-regional variations were observed. Our study is one of the most extensive and novel investigations on public support for climate action among underrepresented populations, allowing for cross-regional and gendered comparisons. For desired support, there is the need for clear and persuasive communication on the link between human behaviour and climate change to deal with the controversies and misconceptions on the cause of climate change. Highlighting the co-benefits of a good climate for tourism, health and wellbeing of residents in SSA could also illuminate urgency for climate action.