Positive messaging makes people more willing to take climate action, new study finds

Climate action campaigns typically focus on what people should give up—drive less, eat less meat, buy fewer disposable products. But a new University of British Columbia study suggests that flipping the script to emphasize positive behaviors could be far more effective at motivating environmental action.

Researchers surveyed nearly 1,550 people across two studies, presenting 15 different climate-friendly actions framed in two ways. Half the participants saw “do more good” messaging like “increase your use of reusable products that last a long time,” while the other half received “do less bad” framing such as “decrease your use of single-use products that are often thrown away.” Participants then rated how likely they were to take each action and how happy they expected it would make them feel.

The results were striking: people consistently said they were more likely to adopt environmentally friendly behaviors when presented with positive framing rather than negative messaging. They also anticipated feeling happier about taking these actions when framed as beneficial additions to their lives rather than sacrifices.

“Eating more plants, or using active transport like walking or biking has actually been shown to boost happiness among people,” explained lead author Jade Radke, a Ph.D. student at UBC. The findings suggest that environmental advocates could significantly improve their messaging effectiveness by emphasizing the positive aspects of sustainable living—such as the health benefits of plant-based diets or the joy of cycling—rather than focusing solely on what people need to eliminate from their routines.