Relating the importance of psychological science in addressing climate change to cities and health

ABSTRACT

The Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) recommended that a task force draft its official position on how psychology can help to address climate change. The aim was to craft a position paper that underscored, for Canadian governments and for members of the public, literature at the intersection of psychology and climate change. The position paper also generated a clear list of recommendations for governments to consider as they make decisions about climate change mitigation, adaptation, and communication strategies. This commentary is a summary of the position paper’s message, focusing on topics germane to international urban living, city governance, and mental health.

KEYWORDS:

• Climate change
• psychology
• environmental psychology
• Canada

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lindsay J. McCunn

Dr. Lindsay J. McCunn is a Professor of psychology at Vancouver Island University and the Director of the Environmental Psychology Research Lab. She is the Chair of the environmental psychology section of the Canadian Psychological Association and the co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Environmental Psychology. Her research on people-place relations is published in a number of interdisciplinary journals.

Robert Gifford

Dr. Robert Gifford is Professor of psychology and environmental studies at the University  of Victoria, the author of five editions of Environmental Psychology: Principles and Practice. He served as Chief Editor of the Journal of Environmental Psychology for 14 years.

Jiaying Zhao

Dr. Jiaying Zhao is an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Department of Psychology and IRES at the University of British Columbia. Her work uses psychological principles to design behavioural solutions to address sustainability challenges. Her current projects tackle resource scarcity, recycling and composting, climate change, and biodiversity conservation.