Modelling the readiness for climate action across individual and system-related behaviours

Understanding climate action—from everyday choices to backing policies and engaging in politics—is essential for accelerating mitigation. Using German samples (total N = 6,918) we find evidence for a common tendency that cuts across these areas, which we call readiness for climate action. We also identify key predictors linked to this readiness: health risks due to climate change , trust in institutions, social norms, perceived effectiveness of policies, self-efficacy, and knowledge about climate issues. Higher readiness was tied to real, costly climate friendly behaviors—completing a demanding task to protect the environment, paying money to reduce CO₂-emissions, and donating to an environmental cause—and improved prediction beyond established measures. This work advances behavioral climate science by introducing the overarching concept and allowing to test what is shared versus specific across behaviors. It provides validated measures for readiness and its predictors; links the disposition to consequential behavior; and points to testable mechanisms and levers for policy making and communication.