Overcoming Climate Gridlock: Perspectives of Climate Leaders on How to Achieve Social Change During Persistent Failure in Australia

Abstract

Despite sustained efforts of social movements worldwide, there has been a lack of progress on mitigating climate change. Recent research examined the psychological consequences of one-off collective action failures, but there has been little research on how to overcome persistent failure to create social change. This qualitative research (N = 26) interviews leaders, founders, experienced advocates, and philanthropists from organisations ranging from direct action to environmental non-governmental organisations in the Australian climate movement to gain insights into what they believe the movement needs to achieve its goals. Participants focused on strategies both internal and external to the movement. Our thematic analysis revealed two key internal themes: (1) strengthening the movement through movement building, diversity, and coalition building; and (2) building resilience and flexibility by gaining more resources, promoting well-being, and developing more dynamic strategies and tactics. The three critical external themes were (1) speaking and acting ‘truth to power’ by addressing state capture and using government leadership; (2) achieving between-system change by addressing economic systems and social norms; and (3) alignment with nature by respecting the natural world, incorporating climate disasters in communication programs, and expanding personal relevance. We discuss the applied and theoretical implications of our results. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.