CORE Lab graduate student Joan Kim recently co-authored a paper investigating moral distress surrounding climate change among environmental activists and the general public. Climate moral distress is defined in the paper as “the negative emotions associated with repeated exposure to the pervasive moral harms posed by climate change coupled with the realization that one’s actions, alone, cannot ameliorate the harms” (Riggio et al., 2025).
The study found that greater perceptions of climate-related harms and negative climate-related emotions significantly predict levels of climate moral distress, and that activists experience greater moral distress overall.
This paper was the first empirical assessment of climate moral distress, and marks an important foundation for future research. This work can help inform people and provide resources to reduce moral distress, which can increase the capacity to remain resilient against climate-related stressors and promote overall well-being.
Read the full paper here!
