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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 12, 2025

Design and Use of a Full Flow Sampling System FFS for the Quantification of Methane Emissions

Design and Use of a Full Flow Sampling System FFS for the Quantification of Methane Emissions

Published on: June 12, 2016

Minority influence in climate change mitigation.

Jan Willem Bolderdijk¹, Lise Jans²

¹Department of Marketing, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Groningen, Nettelbosje 2, 9747 AE Groningen, The Netherlands.

Current Opinion in Psychology

|March 15, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Minorities can drive environmental change, challenging norms and potentially reaching tipping points. Policymakers can accelerate this social shift by supporting these groups, fostering collective action for climate solutions.

Keywords:

Minorities Moral do-gooders Pro-environmental behaviour Social change Social influence Tipping points

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Last Updated: Nov 12, 2025

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Split Point Analysis and Uncertainty Quantification of Thermal-Optical Organic/Elemental Carbon Measurements

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Published on: September 7, 2019

Area of Science:

Environmental sociology
Social psychology
Climate change studies

Background:

Majority populations often engage in carbon-intensive behaviors despite environmental concerns.
Social change is frequently initiated by minority groups challenging the status quo.
Existing research suggests environmental minorities face social sanctions, reinforcing harmful norms.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of minority groups in instigating environmental social change.
To explore the potential for pro-environmental minorities to create tipping points for spontaneous societal shifts.
To examine the impact of top-down policy support on minority-led environmental movements.

Main Methods:

Analysis of literature on social change and environmental activism.
Exploration of theoretical frameworks regarding minority influence and social tipping points.
Consideration of policy interventions for supporting environmental minorities.

Main Results:

Pro-environmental minorities can overcome social sanctions to initiate significant environmental change.
These minorities can act as catalysts for 'tipping points,' leading to widespread adoption of sustainable practices.
Top-down policy support, such as granting 'voice' to minorities, can accelerate this process.

Conclusions:

Environmental minorities play a crucial role in driving societal transitions towards sustainability.
Policy interventions can effectively empower minorities and amplify their impact on climate action.
A combination of bottom-up activism and top-down support is key to achieving widespread environmental change.