Examining the emergence of collective climate agency in a multiprofessional work community

Purpose This study aims to investigate how collective climate agency emerged at a workplace and to contribute to intervention research. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a brief intervention applying Developmental Work Research to promote the collective climate agency of a school’s multiprofessional work community. The data consisted of discussions on a challenging experiment. Findings The brief intervention enabled the participants to evolve into a multiprofessional collective through a common experiment. However, addressing climate change requires solutions that transcend traditional boundaries and combine professional expertise. In this case, motive conflict, which is essential to transformative agency, emerged but was not addressed, which is why the prevailing structures remained unchallenged. Originality/value Climate change research has previously paid little attention to work communities, as it has primarily focused on individual consumers and societal decision-making.