The impact of digital platforms on climate action: A case study of change.org initiatives en México

Abstract

The proliferation of digital platforms and their impact on the reconfiguration of the public sphere have enabled a significant expansion of citizen participation and the plurality of spaces in which citizens can express their concerns and find a shared community. In this context, the research focuses on the petitions made through the Change.org platform, specifically initiatives linked to climate action corresponding to Sustainable Development Goal 13. The article focuses on how this participation is configured in terms of its drivers, the territorial scales at which it is embedded, the issues of greatest concern within the field, as well as the visibility and collective support achieved by initiatives for the management of environmental conflicts of this nature.

Regarding the methodological strategy, a descriptive research was conducted through a content analysis of 132 initiatives related to climate change registered between 2019 and 2024 on the Change.org platform in Mexico.

 Among the relevant findings, it is noteworthy that the majority of petitions are directed at government decision-makers and linked to the transformation of public policy on climate change; however, their scope is limited in terms of achieving the objectives proposed in the initiative descriptions. Additionally, the initiative promoters are mostly private citizens, and there is low participation by organized civil society, as well as limitations on the mass reach of signatures for these types of initiatives.