Understanding how experiencing environmental change in the Arctic affects climate action

This study aims to understand how SEES participants’ experiences of environmental change in Svalbard affects the likelihood that they take individual and collective action to mitigate climate change, and to adapt to climate change. Research suggests that personal experiences are more likely to promote climate action than providing factual knowledge. We will study whether SEES participants are more strongly motivated to take climate action after SEES, and whether this increases the likelihood that they engage in climate actions. We will not only consider individual mitigation actions (e.g., save energy, reduce meat and dairy consumption), but also collective actions (e.g., protesting, convincing others to take action). Moreover, we will not only consider private sphere actions, but also whether people are more likely to take action in their professional roles (e.g., at work). This will reveal to what extent SEES might have wider impacts, by also influencing the actions of non-participants.

This study will build upon the SVALUR project and the SEES.nl/2022 project ‘Understanding of the appreciation of environmental change in Svalbard’ by examining the consequences of experiencing environmental change on individual and collective climate action.