Collective action
Coordinated activity by people working towards a shared objective.
Example
Residents might organise for safer cycling routes or community energy.
The catch
Participation needs accessible processes and clear responsibilities.
In more depth
Collective action, explained.
Collective action has two meanings in climate debates. In everyday use it means people organising together. In economics it names a dilemma. A stable climate benefits everyone, so each actor is tempted to let others pay, and that free-rider problem is part of the reason international agreements move slowly.
Groups overcome the dilemma more often than early theory predicted. Studies of shared fisheries and forests show that clear rules, monitoring and a fair say in decisions let users avoid the tragedy of the commons. Many people are conditional cooperators who contribute when they expect others to, so making contributions visible does as much work as asking for them.