The impact of climate anxiety on individuals’ acceptance of conservation policy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61511/educo.v2i2.2025.3147Keywords:
climate anxiety, eco-anxiety, eco-emotions, conservation policy, policy supportAbstract
Background: Climate change is an impending threat that can lead to negative emotional responses. One of these responses is climate anxiety, which is characterized by chronic worry about the future and can be both adaptive and maladaptive. Previous literature states that climate anxiety can be adaptive and a helpful coping mechanism, as it can lead to environmental action. However, previous research does not relate this phenomenon to conservation policy. Thus, this paper aims to explore the impact of climate change anxiety on individuals’ acceptance of conservation policy. Methods: This paper uses reflexive thematic analysis to analyze journal articles and policy briefs related to the topic. This entails coding each source and identifying the main themes found in the data to determine patterns and identify key themes in the chosen sources. Findings: The findings state that ecosystem conservation is crucial and leads to nuanced emotional responses when climate change is not mitigated. Moreover, environmental action is found to be a coping mechanism that alleviates climate anxiety due to its social aspect. Finally, individuals play a significant role in conservation policy, yet their support is contingent on their trust in the government. Conclusion: Climate anxiety can lead to environmental action in adaptive coping and can increase the likelihood of support for conservation policies if it is deemed effective. Novelty/Originality of this article: This paper concentrates on conservation policies’ possible support within individuals afflicted with climate anxiety if it helps them alleviate their negative affect, and is an effortful but low-cost effort.
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