How to change the minds of people too busy to care about climate change

Too many people are in survival mode, with scant mental space to contemplate climate change. To persuade them to care, they must be shown empathy and immediate tangible benefits

Rizwan Basir

Published: 3:30pm, 29 Mar 2024

Why you can trust SCMP

Over the years, countless environmentalists have focused on persuading the public to acknowledge the urgency of climate change through data and science. But to establish a genuine connection with people around the world – whose actions wield the greatest influence in combating climate change – it’s crucial to grasp what truly matters to them.

More than ever, the climate community should shift its focus towards empathy, addressing the immediate and essential day-to-day needs of individuals.

Let’s face it, the planet’s well-being isn’t on everyone’s list of top concerns. The survey, spanning 39 economies, reveals that Generation Z are more preoccupied with inflation.

It’s a reflection of our times. With attention spans shrinking and complexity increasing, people tend to focus on immediate, tangible problems. And it’s not confined to the younger demographic; this inclination transcends age groups, reflecting a broader societal shift in priorities.

In countries like China, for instance, while climate awareness is prevalent in theory, the public perceive climate change as posing a higher risk to the nation than themselves, their families or local communities. Interestingly, this perception doesn’t necessarily translate into a willingness to adopt climate-friendly actions.

Instead, factors such as personal benefits and costs, including economic opportunities, daily expenses, health and education, emerge as significant predictors of attitudes towards climate action.

This data, coupled with protests in various countries against issues like inflation, soaring living costs and stagnant wages, highlights why the climate community is finally, though somewhat awkwardly, delving into equity concerns. But there’s a lot more work ahead.

To rally political backing for climate action, we need to showcase the tangible benefits of such initiatives on people’s lives. We must illustrate how transitioning to cleaner cities will improve well-being, especially for low-income and marginalised communities, along with those concerned about living expenses. It’s crucial that they see and trust that life will become more manageable, with reduced heating costs and enhanced employment prospects.

In the Global South, this demonstrative effect needs to be even more pronounced. The challenges faced by Gen Z in this region are intricate and overwhelming – they are essentially in survival mode, with scant mental space to contemplate climate change.

Moreover, many Global South governments have substantial debt and vulnerable populations that lack even the basic necessities of food, water, shelter and energy. How can these regions prioritise climate change, which, ironically, affects them more profoundly than the rest of the world?

03:45

The Indonesian village being swallowed by the sea

Therefore, instead of leading with climate data and science, while presenting health, safety and economic “co-benefits” as mere extras, climate advocates should flip the script. Climate should be seen as the co-benefit, and we should put at the forefront what people care about the most: economic issues.

This is increasingly urgent with rising resistance against climate policies in the Global North. Europe, in particular, has witnessed a reactionary backlash. From farmers’ protests in the Netherlands to the controversy over new rules to phase out oil and gas heating in Germany, from the Yellow Vests in France to the opposition to the 15-minute city and Ultra-Low Emission Zones in Britain, climate action is becoming a weaponised issue across the continent.

Across much of the Global South, however, the luxury of resisting climate policies simply doesn’t exist. Debt-stricken governments lack the economic flexibility to allocate resources to even develop climate policies in the first place.

The limited capital and resources they possess are channelled towards fulfilling the basic population needs. Consequently, the younger generation, and vulnerable populations at large, remain uninformed about the concept of climate action and the positive impact it could have on their lives.

11:25

Scorching reality: Hong Kong struggles to adapt to living and working in a hotter world

So, how do we shift our efforts in combating climate change to align with people’s real concerns?

It starts with empathy. Just as in any endeavour, understanding what people truly want is key. We must set aside our assumptions and invest time in gathering data, conducting interviews, monitoring social media and listening to personal narratives. Bridging the gap between diverse perspectives isn’t easy but it’s imperative.

Climate, inequality dim hopes of brighter future across Asia-Pacific: UN report

Our focus must centre on forging pathways to job creation, accessible housing, healthcare access and energy sovereignty – pillars that hold far greater sway than mere climate statistics. And in the Global South, climate action must be presented as a beacon of hope, empowering vulnerable populations to envision a future of resilience and stability, transcending mere survival.

It’s time to humanise the movement: the climate crisis is just as much about the people as it is about the planet.

Rizwan Basir, a sociologist, works as a senior technical specialist at the Climate Resourcing and Coordination Center based in Islamabad, Pakistan