Actively distancing from climate radicals improves public support for moderate climate activists

Why fiery protests can quietly win hearts

From blocked roads to peaceful marches, climate protests often spark as much debate as the problem they highlight. Many people worry that dramatic stunts turn the public off, while others argue that bold action is needed to force change. This study asks a surprisingly practical question: when noisy, radical climate protests grab the headlines, do they help or hurt more moderate groups trying to build broad support? And does it matter whether the moderates stand with the radicals or clearly keep their distance?

Different kinds of climate protests

The researchers distinguish between two broad styles of climate activism. On one side are radical groups that may block company entrances, damage property, or use shocking tactics to demand an end to fossil fuels. On the other side are moderate groups that organise authorised marches, petitions, and information campaigns aimed at persuading the public and decision-makers. Both want stronger climate action, but they use very different means. When these groups operate in the same movement, the more extreme faction is called a “radical flank.” Past research has shown that people usually like moderate activists more than radical ones, but it has been unclear whether radicals tarnish moderates by association or, by contrast, make them look reasonable.

A large test with everyday citizens

To probe this, the team ran an online experiment with over 1,400 adults in Austria who were not themselves climate activists. Everyone read short newspaper-style stories about fictional climate groups. First, participants saw a “flank” group that was either radical or moderate. Then they read about a “centre” group that was always moderate but either endorsed the flank group and its approach, or clearly distanced itself and said it did not want to work with them. After each description, people rated how radical they thought the group was, how much they felt they could identify with it, and how willing they would be to support its actions, such as joining a protest or signing a petition.

When stepping back helps the middle ground

The central finding is subtle but important. When the moderate centre group openly distanced itself from a radical flank, people supported the moderates more than when the flank was also moderate. In other words, having a radical wing in the picture actually boosted backing for the calm compromisers—as long as those moderates made it clear they were different. In this case, participants saw the moderates as less radical, felt closer to them, and were more willing to act on their behalf. But when the moderate group endorsed the radical flank instead of distancing itself, this benefit disappeared. Under endorsement, it made little difference whether the flank was radical or moderate: support for the centre did not rise.

How perceptions shape support

To understand why this happens, the authors examined how people’s impressions linked together. When moderates distanced themselves from a radical group, the comparison made the moderates look especially reasonable and non-extreme. Seeing them as less radical then made it easier for people to identify with them, and that sense of identification fed into greater support and willingness to get involved. Statistical modelling suggested that this chain—from the presence of radical tactics, to lower perceived radicalness of the moderates, to stronger identification, to higher support—was a plausible pathway for the effect. Crucially, none of these dynamics reduced people’s broader backing for climate action in general, whether by activists, politicians, or individuals in their private lives.

What this means for climate movements

For lay readers, the takeaway is that radical climate protests do not automatically help or harm the larger cause. According to this study, they can strengthen moderate groups in the same movement, but only if those moderates are seen to stand apart from the most disruptive tactics. By clearly signalling, in public, that they share the goals but not the methods of their radical cousins, moderate activists may look more reasonable and relatable to the wider public—and gain support without dampening concern about climate change itself.

Citation: Köhler, J.K., Fian, L., White, M.P. et al. Actively distancing from climate radicals improves public support for moderate climate activists. Commun Psychol 4, 55 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-026-00412-z

Keywords: climate activism, protest tactics, public opinion, social movements, radical flank