Synoptic Theme: Attitudes and Actions

This lesson explores the second of the three Edexcel A-Level Geography synoptic themes: Attitudes and Actions. This theme examines how the beliefs, values, ideologies and worldviews of individuals, communities and institutions shape the responses taken to geographical issues at local, national and global scales. The central question is: What do people believe about geographical issues, and how do those beliefs shape what they do?

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Understanding Attitudes in Geography

An attitude is a settled way of thinking or feeling about something. In geography, attitudes towards issues like development, environmental protection, migration and risk are shaped by:

• Values — moral and ethical beliefs about what is right and wrong
• Ideology — political and economic worldviews (capitalism, socialism, environmentalism, nationalism)
• Experience — personal and community experience of geographical processes
• Knowledge — scientific understanding, education, access to information
• Culture — cultural norms, religious beliefs, social expectations
• Self-interest — economic interests, property values, livelihood security
• Scale — the same person may hold different attitudes at different scales (e.g. supporting renewable energy in principle but opposing a wind farm near their home — NIMBYism)

The Attitude-Action Gap

A critical concept for this theme is the attitude-action gap — the observation that people's stated attitudes do not always match their behaviour. For example:

• Many people express concern about climate change but continue to fly regularly.
• Governments sign international environmental agreements but fail to meet their commitments.
• Consumers say they prefer ethical products but often choose cheaper alternatives.

Understanding why the attitude-action gap exists — economic constraints, convenience, lack of alternatives, policy failure, free-rider problem — is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of actions.

Exam Tip: The attitude-action gap is a powerful evaluative concept for Paper 3. Whenever you discuss an action taken to address a geographical issue, consider whether it truly reflects the stated attitudes of the players involved, or whether there is a gap between rhetoric and reality. Referencing the attitude-action gap demonstrates sophisticated geographical thinking.

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Scales of Action

Geographical actions operate at multiple scales, and the effectiveness of action depends on the scale at which it is taken, the coordination between scales and the power of the actors involved.

Global Actions: International Agreements and Treaties

Global actions are typically taken through international agreements negotiated at summits and conferences. These represent the highest scale of coordinated action but face significant challenges of enforcement, compliance and equity.

Agreement	Date	Focus	Key Provisions	Evaluation
Montreal Protocol	1987	Ozone depletion	Phased out CFC production; 99% reduction achieved	Widely considered the most successful international environmental agreement; ozone layer is recovering
Paris Agreement	2015	Climate change	Limit warming to 1.5-2°C above pre-industrial levels; nationally determined contributions (NDCs)	Ambitious targets but non-binding; many countries not on track; US withdrew (2017) then rejoined (2021)
Kyoto Protocol	1997	Greenhouse gas emissions	Binding emission reduction targets for developed countries	Partially effective; major emitters (USA, China, India) exempt or did not ratify
UN Sustainable Development Goals	2015	Sustainable development	17 goals, 169 targets, to be achieved by 2030	Comprehensive framework; mixed progress; many goals behind schedule
Convention on Biological Diversity	1992	Biodiversity loss	Conservation, sustainable use, equitable sharing of genetic resources	Limited success; 2010 targets largely missed; new Kunming-Montreal framework (2022)

graph TD
    A["GLOBAL ACTIONS"] --> B["International Treaties<br/>(Paris, Kyoto, Montreal)"]
    A --> C["UN Frameworks<br/>(SDGs, Sendai, Ramsar)"]
    A --> D["Trade Agreements<br/>(WTO rules, FTAs)"]

    E["NATIONAL ACTIONS"] --> F["Legislation<br/>(Climate Change Act, planning law)"]
    E --> G["Policy<br/>(energy strategy, migration policy)"]
    E --> H["Investment<br/>(infrastructure, aid)"]

    I["LOCAL ACTIONS"] --> J["Council decisions<br/>(planning, regeneration)"]
    I --> K["Community action<br/>(transition towns, protests)"]
    I --> L["Individual behaviour<br/>(consumption, transport)"]

    style A fill:#d32f2f,color:#fff
    style E fill:#1565c0,color:#fff
    style I fill:#2e7d32,color:#fff

National Actions: Government Policy and Legislation

National governments can take powerful action through legislation, regulation, investment and policy. The effectiveness of national action depends on political will, economic resources, institutional capacity and public support.

Example — UK Climate Change Act (2008):

The UK was the first major economy to set a legally binding emissions reduction target. The Climate Change Act established:

• A target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 (later strengthened to net zero by 2050 in 2019)
• Five-year carbon budgets set by the independent Climate Change Committee
• Regular reporting to Parliament on progress

Evaluation: The UK reduced emissions by approximately 50% between 1990 and 2023, one of the best records among developed nations. However, critics argue that much of this reduction came from deindustrialisation (offshoring emissions) rather than genuine decarbonisation, and that the UK is not currently on track for the Sixth Carbon Budget (2033-2037).

Example — China's Environmental Protection Law (2014 revision):

China strengthened its environmental protection legislation in response to severe air pollution crises. The revised law included stricter penalties for pollution, public interest litigation provisions, and greater transparency in environmental monitoring.

Evaluation: Air quality in major Chinese cities has improved significantly — Beijing's average PM2.5 concentration fell from 89.5 µg/m³ in 2013 to 32 µg/m³ in 2023. However, China remains the world's largest CO2 emitter, and coal still accounts for approximately 55% of its energy mix. This illustrates the tension between national environmental action and continued reliance on fossil fuels for economic growth.

Local Actions: Community and Individual Scale

Local actions are often the most visible and directly impactful for individuals, but they face challenges of scale — local action alone cannot address global problems.

Example — Transition Towns: