Climate change affects all social and ecological systems, and its mitigation will entail billions of humans transforming their relationships with those complex systems. Amid signs that more people are alarmed and taking action to mitigate climate change, a new concept of deep behavioural engagement (DBE) in climate action is presented and explored through a mixed methods study. Australian adults (N=384) were surveyed anonymously online using open- and closed-ended items, with the sample including 111 people who reported practising DBE. Thematic analysis of open-ended items revealed that DBE activities ranged from nonviolent direct action, to teaching climate science, to practising permaculture. Binary logistic regression identified that people who reported higher levels of duty to mitigate climate change for the sake of others, combined with climate anxiety, active hope, and biospheric values, were more likely to practise DBE. Findings are important for understanding the motivations of people who are already doing the kinds of collective activism, career shifts and major lifestyle changes that are needed on a global scale as part of limiting climate change.
Keywords: climate change, deep behavioural engagement, climate action, climate anxiety, active hope, Australia
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