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Our species is in a race with climate change, and a lot of people want to know, 鈥淐an I really make a difference?鈥�

This question concerns what鈥檚 known as agency. Its meaning is complex, but in a nutshell, it means being able to do what you set out to do and believing you can succeed.

How well people exercise their agency will determine the severity of global warming鈥攁nd .

The evidence is clear that . But human actions can also affect the climate  by reducing fossil fuel burning and carbon emissions. It鈥檚 not too late to avert the worst effects of climate change, but time .

Despite abundant technical agency, humanity is  of psychological agency: belief in one鈥檚 personal ability to help. A  in The Lancet, a British medical journal, found that more than half of young people ages 16鈥�25 feel afraid, sad, anxious, angry, powerless, and helpless about climate change.

As professors, we bring complementary perspectives to the challenges of taking action on climate change.  studies psychology and leadership, and  is a climate scientist and author of the recent book .

Believing 鈥業 Can Do This鈥�

Human activities鈥攑articularly relying on coal, oil, and natural gas for energy鈥攈ave , with dire consequences.

As greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuel use accumulate in the atmosphere, they warm the planet.  worsening heat waves, rising sea levels, and more intense storms that become increasingly harder to adapt to. A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change describes some of the dangerous disruptions already underway and how they are  at risk.

Just like humans can choose to drive gas guzzlers, they can also choose to act in ways that influence the climate, air quality, and public health for the better. Scientific knowledge and countless opportunities for action make that agency possible.

A key part of agency is one鈥檚 belief, when faced with a task to perform, a situation to manage, or a long-term goal like protecting the climate, that 鈥淚 can do this.鈥� It鈥檚 known as 鈥�.鈥�

This may be the most important psychological factor in predicting how well people will cope with both climate change and COVID-19, recent online  data from Europe indicate. People feeling adequate agency are more likely to persevere, rebound from setbacks, and perform at high levels.

With climate change, a high sense of self-efficacy strengthens a person鈥檚 willingness to reduce carbon emissions (mitigation) and prepare for climate-related disasters (adaptation). Studies  volunteering, donating, contacting elected officials, saving energy, conserving water during extreme weather, .

How to Boost Your Sense of Agency

To build agency for something that can feel as daunting as climate change, focus first on the facts. In the case of climate change: Greenhouse gas emissions cause the most harm, and people can help far more than they realize.

Successful agency has four psychological drivers, all of which can be strengthened with practice:

1. Intentionality: 鈥淚 choose my climate goals and actions for high impact.鈥�

Deciding to act with purpose鈥攌nowing what you intend to do鈥攊s far more effective than thinking, 鈥淢y heart鈥檚 in the right place, I just have to find the time.鈥�

In the big picture, one鈥檚 highest climate efficacy is in participating in larger efforts to stop fossil fuel use. People can set specific ambitious goals for reducing personal and household energy use and join others in collective actions.

2. Forethought: 鈥淚 am looking ahead and thinking strategically about how to proceed.鈥�

Knowing your goals, you can think strategically and develop an action plan. Some plans support relatively simple goals involving individual lifestyle changes, such as adjusting consumption and travel patterns. Wider-reaching actions can help change systems鈥攕uch as long-term activities that advocate for climate-friendly policies and politicians, or against policies that are harmful. These include demonstrations and voter campaigns.

3. Self-regulation: 鈥淚 can manage myself over time to optimize my efforts and effectiveness.鈥�

Worrying about the future is becoming a lifelong task鈥攐ff and on for some, constant for others. Climate change will cause disasters and scarcities, disrupt lives and careers, heighten stress, and harm public health. Seeing progress and working with others can help relieve stress.

4. Self-reflection: 鈥� I will periodically assess my effectiveness, rethink strategies and tactics, and make necessary adjustments.鈥�

It鈥檚 difficult to imagine a greater need for lifelong learning than as we navigate decades of climate change, its many harms, and efforts by fossil fuel companies to obscure the facts. Reflection鈥攐r, more precisely, keeping up with the latest science, learning, and adapting鈥攊s vital as the future keeps presenting new challenges.

Personal Agency Is Only the First Step

Even seemingly minor  can help reduce carbon emissions and lead to paths of greater action, but individual actions are only part of the solution. Big polluters often urge consumers to take small personal actions, which can  from the need for large-scale policy interventions.

Individual agency should be seen as a gateway for group efforts that can more quickly and effectively change the trajectory of climate change.

鈥淐ollective agency鈥� is another form of agency. A critical mass of people can create societal [tipping points] that pressure industry and policymakers to move more quickly, safely, and equitably to implement policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Helping to elect local, state, and national officials who support protecting the climate, and influencing investors and leaders of corporations and associations, can also create a sense of agency known as 鈥減roxy agency.鈥�

罢辞驳别迟丑别谤,听聽can rapidly improve humanity鈥檚 capacity to solve problems and head off disasters. Fixing the world鈥檚 climate mess requires both urgency and a sense of agency to create the best possible future.

This article was originally published by . It is published here with permission.