Effect of a narrative and behavioral science intervention on climate mitigation willingness among young professionals in India: A pilot randomized controlled trial

<ns5:p>Background India is highly vulnerable to climate change, yet translating awareness into personal action remains a persistent challenge. While narrative persuasion is a promising tool for behavioural shift, its efficacy in non-Western, high-awareness cohorts remains largely unexplored. This study, the first randomized controlled trial of its kind in India evaluates whether an interactive climate narrative can increase mitigation willingness among young working professionals. Methods Working professionals in Delhi-NCR (N = 80) were randomized to either a gamified, climate-narrative intervention (n = 40) or an information-only control (n = 40). Personal Climate Mitigation Activities (PCMA) were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Linear mixed-effects models were employed to control for baseline imbalances. Results Despite high narrative engagement (“transportation”) in the intervention group, mixed-effects modelling revealed no significant group*time interaction for PCMA (P = 0.362). Crucially, a strong “ceiling effect” was identified, with participants displaying near-maximum willingness to adopt mitigation behaviours even at baseline. Narrative transportation did not correlate with immediate or sustained behavioural shifts (r = −0.05, P = 0.757). Conclusion This trial reveals a critical “value-action gap” among educated urban Indian professionals. Because baseline willingness is already exceptionally high, narrative-driven persuasion alone is insufficient to spur action. These findings pivot the climate communication paradigm, suggesting that future efforts must shift from trying to persuade an already willing audience to dismantling structural barriers and implementing environmental nudges that facilitate real-world behaviour change.</ns5:p>