Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
26:41
Perspectives on Neuroscience
Published on: July 31, 2007
Neuroscience and climate action: intersecting pathways for brain and planetary health
Boryana Todorova1, Maximilian O Steininger1, Claus Lamm1
1Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences
|May 8, 2026
Summary
The climate crisis affects brain health, while neuroscience can drive climate action. Understanding this link offers self-interested benefits for mental and cognitive well-being, promoting climate action.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Climate Science
- Environmental Psychology
Background:
- The climate crisis poses risks to neurocognitive health.
- The interplay between climate action and the brain is under-researched.
- Neuroscience offers insights into this reciprocal relationship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the connections between climate action and the brain.
- To explore how neuroscience can enhance understanding of this relationship.
- To identify future research directions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of neuroscience and climate change research.
- Analysis of the impact of climate action on brain health.
- Exploration of the brain's role in motivating climate action.
Main Results:
- Climate action benefits brain health, mental health, and cognitive function.
- Emphasizing self-interest can drive climate action.
- Neuroscience can predict population behaviors and inform interventions.
Conclusions:
- Neuroscience is crucial for understanding the climate action-brain nexus.
- Further research is needed to bridge knowledge gaps.
- Leveraging self-interest through neuroscience can accelerate climate action.
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