Collective Climate Action Spurred by Showcasing Past Successes

Stanford-led study finds highlighting impact of collective efforts more effective than emphasizing co-benefits or negative emotions

Jan. 27, 2026 at 8:23pm

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A new Stanford-led study found that showing people how collective climate actions have made a difference and can generate positive social connections is more effective at spurring collective climate action than emphasizing co-benefits or using negative emotions like guilt and anger. The study recruited over 30,000 U.S. residents to test various psychology-backed interventions, with the most effective one increasing willingness to take public awareness and political actions by 30% and 14% respectively.

Why it matters

Structural change is needed to address climate change, but that requires individuals to demand it. This study provides insights into what motivates people to participate in collective climate action, which is crucial for driving the large-scale societal shifts necessary to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

The details

The study tested 17 different interventions intended to encourage collective climate action, such as participating in public demonstrations or writing to representatives. The top intervention provided examples of past successful collective climate efforts, showed a video of climate marches, and invited participants to imagine forming friendships through climate action. This intervention boosted willingness for public awareness and political actions, while a moral framing around preserving America's natural places increased financial advocacy. Interventions focused on co-benefits or negative emotions like guilt were less effective.

  • The study was published on January 27, 2026.

The players

Madalina Vlasceanu

An assistant professor of environmental social sciences in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and the senior author of the study.

Danielle Goldwert

The lead study author and a PhD student at New York University.

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability

The school where Vlasceanu is a professor and which provided funding for the study through a Discovery Grant program.

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What they’re saying

“People really engage in collective action if they are made to feel that it will matter, that it will have an impact and create structural change, while also benefiting them personally.”

— Danielle Goldwert, PhD student at New York University (Mirage News)

“Climate change is a collective problem and individual solutions alone are inadequate for addressing it. This could help practitioners get a flavor of what kinds of messages resonate with their target audience to inspire collective action.”

— Madalina Vlasceanu, Assistant professor of environmental social sciences, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability (Mirage News)

What’s next

Vlasceanu and her team are developing a longer documentary intervention based on the principles of the most successful interventions and plan to follow participants over several years to understand the long-term effects on behavior.

The takeaway

This study provides important insights into how to effectively motivate people to participate in collective climate action, which is crucial for driving the large-scale societal changes needed to address the climate crisis. By highlighting past successes and the social and personal benefits of collective action, rather than emphasizing negative emotions or co-benefits, the researchers found a more impactful approach to spurring climate activism.