Co-created environmental messaging for climate action: Insights from coastal communities in the Global South

Abstract

Effective environmental communication is essential for building capacity for sustainable decision-making and fostering climate action, particularly in diverse community settings. Our study, conducted in Palawan, Philippines, implements a co-created communication strategy developed in collaboration with local fisherfolk, students and environmental practitioners. Using cluster analysis, we examined how 29 action prompts (APs) combining behavioural guidance with emotional engagement influenced learning, content sharing and behavioural change. APs evoking hope were the most effective in strengthening capacity building in terms of behavioural intention, motivation for learning and empowerment, while fear-based messages heightened awareness but required clear solutions to drive action. Notably, audience-specific responses varied: students responded more positively to emotionally engaging APs, whereas fisherfolk were more motivated by solution-oriented messages relevant to their livelihoods. The participatory approach served as a model for sustainable partnerships, reinforcing bottom-up engagement and strengthening community agency and knowledge-sharing networks. These findings highlight the importance of integrating emotional engagement, especially hope-based content with explicit behavioural recommendations tailored to audience knowledge and lived experiences. By bridging research and practice, this study offers a scalable method for developing culturally relevant communication strategies in Global South contexts. It underscores the significance of co-creation, ongoing evaluation and tailored messaging in promoting sustainable behaviours.