University research theme: Healthy people, families and communities
In 2019, Dr Simon Bury and colleagues published the paper Against the odds: Hope as an antecedent of support for climate change action, detailing two studies that show that hope drives support for climate action when success seems possible but not probable. Highly invested individuals reported support for climate change action even at low odds of success, suggesting that hope uniquely motivates action against the odds.
Impact
In 2024, the Community Resilience Working Group (CRWG), Maine USA, proposed updates to the Maine Won’t Wait (MWW) policy in their WG Resilience – Final Recommendations June 2024 report. This document incorporates findings from Bury et al. (2019) by prioritising mental health resilience, climate communication, and equity in climate adaptation. It proposes creating a Climate Psychology Task Force, integrating mental health support into disaster response, and expanding climate education on psychological resilience, especially for youth and vulnerable populations.
United Nations Sustainability Goals
