Sustainable World

Planning for the future doesn’t just help individuals, it helps the planet.

Our research shows that when people mentally simulate future outcomes, they’re more likely to engage in high-impact sustainable behaviours, like reducing meat consumption or supporting environmental policies.

How we talk about climate risks matters. Our studies show that framing rare but impactful events, like floods or rising sea levels, with positive probability language (for example “a small chance”) rather than negative terms (for example “unlikely”) helps people take risk more seriously.

Positive framing also builds trust in forecasters and promotes thoughtful decision-making.

From wildfires to flash floods, rare disasters are becoming more frequent and costly. Yet, people often downplay them because of their perceived unlikelihood.

Essex researchers are investigating how to raise awareness of these low-probability, high-impact events so communities can prepare for them before it’s too late.

Our work examines how traditional gender roles shape sustainability attitudes. For example, pro-environmental behaviours like reducing consumption or using reusable products are often coded as “feminine” which can discourage some people from adopting them.

Understanding these barriers helps us design more inclusive sustainability campaigns.