Until recently the role of culture in mediating responses to global change has been little discussed. In the light of accelerating climate change, however, individuals have an ethical responsibility for action. This paper argues that the limited advances in mitigation and adaptation of international institutions and national governments may pose significant obstacles to individual action. The author suggests that, for individuals to adequately address their responsibilities under these circumstances, they must take note of the cultural frameworks of their societies. Two areas in which cultural dimensions may play a particularly important role are:

the conceptual framing of environmental forces
the development of citizen-led governance

The author concludes that, despite the slow pace of commitment to action on climate change of national governments and international institutions, individuals may still address their responsibilities with regard to climate change by attending to, and possibly transforming, the cultural frameworks with which they engage.