Say it loud, say it clear – Youth climate action through collective action and empathy

By Mareike Peschau

“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

– African proverb

As Greta Thunberg famously stated in her speech in Davos: “Our house is on fire” (Thunberg, 2019). The current climate crisis presents an unprecedented challenge for us as a human species. If we fail to rapidly mobilize effective climate action at scale now, the future of our planet, including that of us humans, becomes more and more uncertain. But, alluding to Greta’s metaphor, how do you put out the fire while you are still inside the house? As those who are going to be most affected by climate change, young people from all corners of the world are working incessantly to stress the importance and magnitude of the crisis. Often lacking access to decision-making, how can they ensure that their voices transform into effective climate action?

The ‘globe’ of global warming

Understanding the climate emergency and formulating an effective response, requires first and foremost shifting how we as humans relate to our planet. Dipesh Chakrabarty (2018) illustrates the ontological shift that effective climate action requires by differentiating between “the ‘globe’ of globalization [… and] the ‘globe’ of global warming” (Chakrabarty, 2018, p.260). Different to globalization, which “presents a story with humans at the center of it” (Chakrabarty, 2018, p.261), global warming “has other planets in view” (Chakrabarty, 2018, p.263). Global warming is therefore simply an instance of:

“‘planetary warming’ that has happened both on this planet and on other planets, humans or no humans, and with different consequences. It just so happens that the current warming of the earth is of human doing” (Chakrabarty, 2018, p.263).

Thus, according to Chakrabarty, while climate change originates from human activity and has profound effects on human security, its dynamics are intrinsically non-anthropocentric and inaccessible to humans. Accordingly, any effective response to climate change needs to be derived from an understanding of the human as a species that forms part of the Earth system.

As Greta Thunberg tirelessly continues to point out, we are failing to take effective climate action even in light of an overwhelming amount of substantial scientific evidence. For example, many countries are far from fulfilling their contributions (NDCs) pledged under the Paris Agreement (Cornwall, 2020).  Following Chakrabarty, we continue to act according to the ‘globe’ of globalization and are failing to adopt the behavior that the ‘globe’ of global warming requires.

Shifting to the ‘globe’ of global warming necessarily involves changing human behavior. Therefore, mobilizing effective climate action, requires insights from the natural sciences as much as it does from psychology (Clayton & Manning, 2018). This important point should be taken into consideration by climate youth movements as it might be one of the key elements to fully unlock their potential.

Collective and empathetic youth climate action

From a social psychology point of view, much emphasis is currently put on changing individual behavior by using social marketing as a means to appeal to people’s hearts and minds and urging them to take responsibility (Rees & Bamberg, 2014). This approach, however, neglects the wider social context in which individual behavior takes place, including factors such as group identity or social norms (Uzzell, 2008). Rees et al. (2018), thus, emphasize the role that collective action plays in achieving societal change. As they find,

“identifying with a group […] is generally regarded as one of the main motivations for individuals to engage on behalf of that group, but it can also stimulate other psychological drivers of collective action such as collective efficacy beliefs or group-based emotions” (Rees et al., 2018, p.189).

Collective climate action, thus, depends on participative efficacy beliefs that “one’s own actions will ‘make a difference’ for the group’s goal achievement” (Rees et al., 2018, p.194), social norms as well as emotions. A study conducted by Rees and Bamberg (2014) thereby found group-based guilty conscience to be particularly predictive of collective climate action intention.

Achieving the pre-requisites for collective climate action, however, requires empathy. It allows us to identify as a group and to harness the mobilizing power of emotions. Moreover, practicing radical empathy, which Terri Givens (2020) conceptualizes as “moving beyond walking in someone else’s shoes [… by] taking actions that will not only help that person but will also improve our society” (Givens, 2020), can ensure that our collective action is not only successful but also equitable. Radical empathy allows us to overcome cultural and societal divides while acknowledging our different dispositions and experiences. Rather than conceiving of ourselves as one humanity, it reminds us of our many humanities.

In that way, combining the approach of collective climate action with radical empathy could provide an effective strategy for youth climate action that can be adopted by youth climate movements at scale in order to foster climate justice.

Say it loud, say it clear

The young generation finds itself in a particularly disadvantaged position. While we are the ones who will have to live with the effects of the climate crisis the longest, we currently hold the least decision-making power, and our voices are often marginalized from the political process. Nonetheless, we can mobilize effective climate action through collective action and empathy.   

Based on Rees et al.’s model of collective climate action, guilty conscience is a powerful driver for climate action. Although admittedly not the most elegant strategy, it means that we can literally guilt-trip decision-makers into action by making our voices heard. To do so effectively, we, as a young generation, need to (1) create a strong group identification by practicing radical empathy, (2) develop a shared belief that our actions are impactful, and (3) empower each other to express ourselves. Social media and other forms of online communication thereby provide us with the necessary tools to come together and to collectively share our diverse experiences, fears, and hopes (which can in turn generate empathy).                                                                   

Summed up, the complexity of the ‘globe’ in global warming requires collective action. We as youth can mobilize this action by collectively raising awareness on the impact that current inaction has on our lives, now and in the future. However, this will only inspire effective climate action when we do so with radical empathy. We need to act united while staying committed to our diversity. Now is the time to send our message loud and clear.

References

Bamberg, S., Rees, J., & Schulte, M. (2018). Environmental Protection Through Societal Change: What Psychology Needs To Know About Collective Climate Action – And What It Needs To Find Out. In S. Clayton & C. Manning, Psychology and Climate Change: Human Perceptions, Impacts, and Responses (1st ed.). Academic Press. Retrieved 30 May 2021, from.

Chakrabarty, D. (2018). Planetary Crises and the Difficulty of Being Modern. Millennium: Journal Of International Studies, 46(3), 259-282. doi: 10.1177/0305829818771277

Clayton, S., & Manning, C. (2018). Psychology and Climate Change: Perceptions, Impacts, and Responses (1st ed.). Academic Press.

Cornwall, W. (2020). The Paris climate pact is 5 years old. Is it working?. Science. Retrieved 30 May 2021, from https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/12/paris-climate-pact-5-years-old-it-working.

Givens, T. (2020). A time for radical empathy. Transforming Society. Retrieved 30 May 2021, from https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2020/06/08/a-time-for-radical-empathy/.

Rees, J., & Bamberg, S. (2014). Climate protection needs societal change: Determinants of intention to participate in collective climate action. European Journal Of Social Psychology, 44(5), 466-473. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2032

Thunberg, G. (2019). ‘Our house is on fire’: Greta Thunberg, 16, urges leaders to act on climate. The Guardian. Retrieved 30 May 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/25/our-house-is-on-fire-greta-thunberg16-urges-leaders-to-act-on-climate.

Uzzell, D. (2008).  The challenge of climate change: The challenge for psychology. 43rd Australian Psychological Society Annual Conference, Hobart, Australia.

About the Author

Mareike Peschau is a current graduate student in international security at PSIA where she pursues research on alternative approaches to peacebuilding and conflict transformation.

*This Blog Entry was selected for publication under the call with the subject: How can youth mobilize effective climate action at scale?