Cognitive Dissonance and Climate Change: Why People Sometimes Ignore What We Know

If you've ever felt uneasy about booking a flight while worrying about your carbon footprint, or found yourself justifying that extra steak dinner even though you're concerned about the environment, you're not alone. That discomfort you're feeling? It has a name: cognitive dissonance.

Why do people ignore climate change and the action they should take?

What Is Cognitive Dissonance and why do people ignore climate change?

Cognitive dissonance is the mental tension we experience when our beliefs clash with our behaviours or when we hold two conflicting beliefs at the same time. It’s that inner conflict that nags at us when something doesn’t quite align with our values.

For instance, someone might strongly believe in the science of climate change but still drive a gas-powered car daily. The mismatch between their belief ("climate change is real and urgent") and their behaviour ("I'm contributing to it") creates a sense of dissonance. To relieve that discomfort, the brain gets to work—justifying, denying, or adjusting. This post aims to help us understand why people generally ignore climate change and the action that they should take.

How Cognitive Dissonance Shows Up in Climate Change

Understanding cognitive dissonance helps explain some of the psychological hurdles we face in tackling climate change. Here’s how:

• Climate Change Denial: Facing the full reality of climate change can be overwhelming. Some people ease the discomfort by denying it exists or by downplaying its severity. If the problem isn’t real—or isn’t that bad—then there's no need to feel bad about contributing to it.

• Justifying Actions: We all have habits that aren’t exactly climate-friendly—whether it’s air travel, meat consumption, or high energy use. Instead of changing those behaviors, people might rationalize them: "I recycle, so I’m doing my part," or "I need to fly for work."

• Discounting Information: It’s easier to listen to news and opinions that align with our existing beliefs. When faced with contradictory information, people might dismiss it or avoid it entirely to reduce the mental strain.

• Inaction: Sometimes, dissonance leads to paralysis. The scale of climate change can feel so vast and complex that individuals shut down emotionally or mentally, convincing themselves that their actions won’t make a difference.
  

Everyday Examples

These moments of dissonance happen more often than we think:

• A frequent flyer who cares deeply about climate change justifies their travel by pointing to the nature of their job.

• A vegetarian for ethical reasons eats meat occasionally and explains it away as a moment of weakness or self-indulgence.

• Someone who believes in renewable energy still drives a gas car and minimises the issue by thinking, “Well, one person’s choice won’t change anything.”
  

How People Reduce Cognitive Dissonance

There are several ways we try to bridge the gap between what we believe and what we do:

1. Changing Behaviour: Aligning actions with beliefs is the most direct approach. This could mean adopting a plant-based diet, reducing air travel, or supporting climate-friendly policies.

2. Changing Attitudes: Some people might downplay the significance of climate change to match their current lifestyle, telling themselves it's exaggerated or not urgent.

3. Adding New Beliefs: Others might introduce new justifications to ease the tension, like “Individual actions don’t matter as much as corporate responsibility.”

4. Being part of The Climate App's movement: Start taking actions on the app - we'll make it as easy and fun as possible, and help you to cause greater change with every action you take!
   

Why This Matters for Climate Action

Recognising cognitive dissonance isn’t about assigning blame—it's about understanding the psychological barriers that keep people from taking action. When we understand this internal conflict, we can craft better climate communication, create supportive environments for change, and be more compassionate toward ourselves and others in the process.

By becoming aware of our own dissonance, we gain the power to either shift our behaviours or our mindsets in ways that are more aligned with a sustainable future. And in doing so, we take one more step toward meaningful climate action.