Climate change communication matter for individual engagement in adaptation: The case of forest owners in Sweden

This research paper evaluates the impact of targeted climate communication campaigns by the Swedish Forest Agency on the adaptation behaviors and perceptions of Swedish forest owners.

• A comparison between 1,493 forest owners who participated in Swedish Forest Agency communication projects and a random sample of 909 owners revealed statistically significant differences in climate change awareness, concern, the perceived urgency to act, and intentions to implement adaptive measures. The communication primarily influenced subjective risk perceptions and beliefs regarding knowledge and ability, increasing the likelihood of future adaptive action.
• Personal experience with extreme events influences an individual's intention to take adaptive measures, and this effect occurs independently of whether the person believes those extreme events were caused by climate change.
• The study emphasizes that communication practices must account for the hindering effects of economic rationales and social norms on individual adaptation. It recommends that future research employ qualitative and longitudinal methods to evaluate communication that is solution- and deliberation-orientated.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2020). Climate change communication matter for individual engagement in adaptation: The case of forest owners in Sweden. https://www.sei.org/publications/climate-change-communication-matter-individual-engagement-adaptation-forest-owners-sweden/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Climate change communication matter for individual engagement in adaptation: The case of forest owners in Sweden. 2020. https://www.sei.org/publications/climate-change-communication-matter-individual-engagement-adaptation-forest-owners-sweden/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Climate change communication matter for individual engagement in adaptation: The case of forest owners in Sweden |date=13 January 2020 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/climate-change-communication-matter-individual-engagement-adaptation-forest-owners-sweden/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2020climate, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Climate change communication matter for individual engagement in adaptation: The case of forest owners in Sweden}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2020}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/climate-change-communication-matter-individual-engagement-adaptation-forest-owners-sweden/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }