Abstract
Although biodiversity loss is a key challenge of our time, it remains largely neglected in the broader societal discourse. Research that systematically investigates the question how attention for biodiversity competes or interacts with attention for other issues remains nascent and scarce. Against this background, we conducted an information-provision experiment that presented people with information from selected societal challenges and looked at how this exposure influenced their attention toward biodiversity loss. Specifically, we reminded participants recruited from the general population of Germany about Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine at the time when both of these societal challenges dominated the media. To mimic real-world conditions, we used predominantly negatively-framed media content. Our findings indicated less priority to addressing biodiversity loss after being reminded of other societal challenges, leading to a so-called saturation. However, we found that personal importance of biodiversity to individuals was much stronger behavioural predictor while respondents indicating the deeper personal change is in principle possible (although not necessarily in any specific direction). These findings highlight boundaries of information-based interventions (e.g., choice architecture vs reflexive learning), stressing the need for deeper social and structural processes making biodiversity personally important. The research enhances our understanding of a key provision dilemma – individuals’ willingness to contribute to addressing biodiversity loss, particularly while dealing with multiple societal challenges.
JEL Classification Codes: D91; Q28; Q57; Q58