Being green in the UK: why we need a better understanding of the relationship between climate concern, behaviours and wellbeing is the title of a recent UCL blog by Lisa FridkinNeil Kaye, and Katie Quy.

This is how it begins:

“Much media attention is given to climate change denial and arguments over the impacts of human-driven climate change, as well as the actions of protest groups such as Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil. Meanwhile, the latest scientific reports offer a further stark warning on climate change, and call for top-down leadership to tackle the climate crisis with greater urgency. Data indicate that, in a broad sense, the British public is on board, with three-in-four Britons now saying they are worried about climate change, and many reporting they feel the UK government is failing in its duty to act.

But beyond these polls, what more do we know about people’s levels of concern or their engagement in ‘pro-environmental behaviours’ (PEBs) to help address climate change? And why is this important? As with uncertainty more generally, eco-anxiety is recognized as having significant negative effects, particularly for younger age groups. However, whilst it is undesirable in many respects, there are also reports that eco-anxiety may be an important precursor to PEBs. Moreover, participating in PEBs might in turn be beneficial for eudaimonic wellbeing, even if this is driven by anxiety over climate change.

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In the rest of the blog, the authors set out how, by asking the right questions, social research can assist in better understanding public attitudes and the complex relationship between concern, action and wellbeing, in support of more effective policy intervention.

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