Knowing behavior matters doesn't hurt: the effect of individual climate behavior messaging on green policy support

Abstract

Individual behavior change offers a large potential to curb greenhouse gas emissions. However, messaging promoting individual behavior change has been criticized as a strategy for addressing climate change due to its potential to diminish climate policy support. In a pre-registered study with a representative sample of American adults (n = 1069), we found that messages recommending the adoption of high-impact individual climate behaviors, such as flying less, eating less meat and reducing food waste, and highlighting their large impact do not affect support for a carbon tax. In an exploratory analysis, we found that this messaging results in a higher intention to adopt several climate behaviors. We recommend that interventions that advocate for individual climate action be best understood as complements, rather than undermining substitutes, to broad carbon regulatory policy.