Harnessing Social Media for Climate Action in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Egypt

Nicolas Hamelin () and Passant Halawa
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Nicolas Hamelin: SPJAIN School of Global Management, Neuroscience Lab, Sydney Campus, 15 Carter Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2141, Australia
Passant Halawa: School of Journalism and Mass Communication, American University in Cairo, Cairo 1511, Egypt

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: Like many developing nations, Egypt is facing a climate crisis due to its agricultural dependence and the Nile Delta’s vulnerability. Despite government plans for sustainable development, recent infrastructure projects have resulted in large-scale green space removal. Effective communication about environmental issues can spark pro-environmental behavior and citizen activism. This study explores social media’s potential to bridge this gap in Egypt. Utilizing Facebook AB testing with a limited budget, we reached a significant 2.3% of Egypt’s online population (nearly 2 million users). This study explored message framing, with findings showing that rational posts resonated best while fear appeals had minimal impact. Social media’s cost-effectiveness and message-framing consideration provide a strategic approach for NGOs to reach a large audience and encourage climate action in Egypt.

Keywords: climate change; sustainability; communication appeals; Facebook advertising; pro-environmental behavior; non-governmental organizations; climate action (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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