Search the EPA Research Database

Project title

Collective Opportunities iN Nature & Environment for Community Transformations

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University of Galway

Lead Applicant

Caitriona Carlin

Project Abstract

Collective Opportunities iN Nature & Environment for Community Transformations (CONNECT) is a four year medium scale project that combines environmental and social sciences, psychology, psychotherapy, and health promotion aspects to determine how to motivate community decision-making and collective behavioural transitions for climate and environment. This project involves youth, and adults. It aims to support communities to identify their pathways to climate action and transition to sustainable living, with a focus on nature restoration. There are six objectives: 1. Explore youth and adult perceptions, attitudes, beliefs and values in relation to engaging in nature-based pro-environmental behaviour. 2. Identify patterns and processes in decision-making around climate action policy, including wider community engagement for climate action initiatives. 3. Investigate methods to increase youth and adult engagement with citizen science in relation to healthy ecosystems. 6. Validation and reliability of citizen science nature-based initiatives and data collection The CONNECT project will generate extensive data on the values, emotions attitudes, and perceptions held by a range of stakeholders on climate action including young people. It will also co-create a systems map of climate action decision-making, by highlighting the patterns and processes and other forces at work in decision-making relating to climate action outcomes. The overall concept is that through participating in eco-psychological programmes such as “Active Hope”, and engaging in nature restoration and nature-based citizen science initiatives, that communities can sustain hope and develop adaptive coping strategies supporting community and ecosystem resilience. This in turn creates a healthy ecosystem, human connection, sense of belonging with, and care for nature. This project will inform our understanding of the predictors and causal mechanisms related to engagement in collective climate action related to nature restoration and citizen science. It will also measure the impacts of specific climate actions on the environment. It will provide insight on young people in the Irish context in relation to similarities and differences between youth and adults, for example risk perceptions, attitudes, values, beliefs related to collective climate action as well as climate literacy. It will synthesise multiple perspectives on climate action from a variety of stakeholders, including policy makers, local authorities and EPA employees. The findings of the project will be relevant for youth and climate policy, health and wellbeing, education for sustainable development and broader community engagement in climate action. The research will inform behavioural interventions and the feasibility of community initiatives and citizen science in relation to biodiversity, nature restoration and climate action.

Grant Approved

657464.36

Research Hub

Addressing Climate Change Evidence Needs

Research Theme

Social science, citizen science and behavioural science for climate action

Start Date

01/09/2025

Initial Projected Completion Date

31/08/2029