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The negative effect of emotion in climate action
New research reveals that the emotions of anger, hope, and compassion might have less of an effect on pro-environmental behaviour than previously thought.
Emotional mechanisms are frequently used to inspire good environmental behaviour.
But how effective are they at inspiring actual, sustainable change?
Perhaps not as much as previously believed, according to a new study.
Put people's intentions to the test
Researchers examined whether three climate-related emotions – anger, compassion, and hope – could encourage people to take action to protect the environment.
Participants were then invited to donate their participation fees to charity. The results surprised the researchers.
“We knew already that when people are angry, they are more motivated and have stronger intentions,” says Christian Klöckner.
He is a professor at NTNU’s Department of Psychology and studies why people make environmentally friendly – or unfriendly – choices.
“When people have a bad conscience, they are more willing to accept climate policies. And we know that people need to hope that something can be done. Otherwise they don’t do anything,” he explains.
In the new study, the researchers wanted to put people’s intentions to the test.
Anger, compassion, and hope
Previous studies have shown that these emotions can motivate people to act.
Anger can make people more willing to hold those responsible for climate change accountable. Compassion can encourage support for victims, while hope can inspire people to do something positive.
The new study surveyed over 2,000 individuals in Norway and Poland. All involved were given a participation fee of 200 kroner or 20 złoty.
They then read a series of short stories designed to trigger these three different types of emotions relating to the climate.
At the end of the study, participants were invited to donate some or all of the money to charity.
This focus on real actions, rather than just intentions, sets the study apart from other research in the field.
The researchers were surprised
The results were unexpected.
The stories had little effect on how much participants donated.
In Poland, participants donated 18 per cent of the total participation fees. compared with 31.8 per cent in Norway. These figures changed very little depending on which emotions the stories were designed to trigger.
“Very few, hardly any gave any more money because of the emotions they had been exposed to, as compared to people who did not read the stories. We were surprised,” admits Klöckner.
The researchers also gave participants another option: to work through a number of pretty boring sheets, where they had to find patterns.
“In return we, the organisers, donated on their behalf. The more tasks they completed, the more we donated,” he says.
Participants could voluntarily complete up to 15 extra tasks. In Poland, 54 per cent of all possible task were completed, while in Norway, 38 per cent of tasks were completed.
Hope for the future
The findings suggest that emotions can affect people’s intention to improve their behaviour towards the environment, but not necessarily change their actions.
That is not to say the results should be exclusively considered in a negative light, according to Klöckner. The meaning of the research is much more nuanced than ‘people don’t do what they say they’re going to do.’
Klöckner and his research team have previously developed a tool to measure the complex emotions triggered by climate change. Their work suggests that the emotional picture appears to be more complicated than simple ‘climate anxiety.’
“In one large study to reduce households’ energy consumption, we found our interventions actually reduced energy consumption, but they didn’t change people’s psychological mindsets,” explains Klöckner.
In other words, emotional information may change people's intentions, while those making real changes, such as reducing electricity use, may do so for entirely different reasons.
“The eventual energy saving had very little do with the individuals’ intention to do it,” the researcher says.
A charitable perspective
The findings could be valuable for non-profit organisations, many of which depend on donations. Understanding what inspires people to start, stop, or continue donating could help them improve their fundraising.
The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) received the donations made during the study.
Denise Kohn, senior corporate adviser for partnerships at WWF Norway, says the organisation deliberately uses anger, compassion, and hope in its fundraising campaigns, often followed by a call to action.
“We know that our monthly donors support for an average of five to six years. All new research that can help us understand donor motivation better, is of interest,” she says.
The emotional factors involved in climate change are particularly challenging to comprehend, such is the enormity of the issue.
“We have never been particularly successful in fundraising on climate alone. Nature is a much stronger entry point, and current political and geopolitical circumstances mean that other issues often take priority in public attention,” explains Kohn.
Ongoing concerns
Anger, compassion, and hope play vital roles in helping shape people’s understanding of climate change.
But emotions alone may not be enough to bring about measurable changes in behaviour.
Together with their Polish counterparts from the University of Warsaw, the research team from NTNU demonstrates that the motivation behind actual change is more complex than one single overpowering emotion.
The research team now intends to fund an even larger survey across ten countries.
“We will continue to research this subject, to find out more about the differences between people in the complex patterns of emotional responses to climate change and how they relate to real behaviour,” says Klöckner.
Source:
Zaremba et al. Impact of anger, compassion, and hope on climate action taking Scientific Reports, 2026. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-56796-9
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