‘I Hadn’t Realised That Change Is Not a Difficult Thing’: Mobilising Football Fans on Climate Change

Abstract

The damaging consequences of anthropogenic climate change are well documented. In order to engage the public on the serious question of climate change, there is a need to use different approaches to connect climate change with other concerns. This study is the first to understand how football fans engage with climate change and how a campaign should engage with them. It does this through an analysis of fans’ engagement with a campaign to engage fans (Pledgeball). It is situated within the literature, which argues that climate change communication needs to engage with the culture, values and worldviews of the target audience. It argues that football fans could be a significant form of collective behaviour to engage with climate change; and that aligning with the identity and worldview of fans, as well as the broader culture of football, can promote engagement and possible social change.