2030 or 2050: when will we really be ready to take action for the planet?

The closer it is, the more concerned we feel?

Published in the Journal of Travel Research, the study The Temporal Paradox of Sustainability: How Goal Time Frames, Immediacy, and Contextual Cues Motivate Tourist Engagement analyses how the timeframes of environmental goals influence tourists’ commitment.

The researchers highlight a paradox: environmental issues require long-term thinking, but we are generally more responsive to goals whose outcomes seem imminent. A commitment set for 2030 may therefore seem more tangible and urgent than a target set for 2050.

But this does not mean we should abandon long-term goals. The study shows that they can become more compelling when accompanied by concrete examples, such as progress already made or local-level impacts.

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Better communication to encourage action

These findings offer practical insights for stakeholders in the tourism sector on how to communicate their environmental commitments more effectively. Rather than simply announcing an ambition for 2050, demonstrating what is already being done today can help the public better understand the impact of these commitments.

More broadly, this research provides a better understanding of how communication around sustainability can influence consumer behaviour, an issue that is also relevant to marketing and branding.

This publication helps to highlight the research carried out at Rennes School of Business on environmental issues and consumer behaviour.

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