Social Network Analysis of #ClimateAction on Twitter

Abstract

Purpose: Forces of fragmentation make achieving climate change goals difficult. Social media is enabling more stakeholders to get involved in sustainability debates. This study aimed to investigate the debates taking place about sustainability on Twitter using the hashtag #ClimateAction as a search term, to identify influential actors and their connections with other users on the platform.

Methodology: NodeXL was used to investigate the social network structure of actors discussing #ClimateAction on Twitter. Tweets were thematically used to identify the topics being discussed. The most influential actors involved in the network were identified. The tweets included in the analysis were posted between Saturday 17 August and Thursday 22 August 2019. The data set was obtained from Twitter on 22 August 2019 and was downloaded from NodeXL Graph Gallery.

Findings: The network included 14,512 Twitter users whose recent tweets contained #ClimateAction, or who were replied to or mentioned in those tweets. The network included 38,855 unique edges with an average geodesic distance of 4.19, indicating a close network. Five key themes were identified: Encouraging action, Citizen movements and activists, Climate change and its effects on the planet, Politics, policies and approaches for climate change and Climate research.

Originality: The study provides new qualitative insights into how Twitter is used as a platform for debate and agenda setting for sustainability. The debate was not as polarized as previous research suggests which may reflect the global nature of Twitter and the increased capacity for advocates to shape policy debates about sustainability on social media.

Citation

Bridge, G. (2021), "Social Network Analysis of #ClimateAction on Twitter", Topić, M. and Lodorfos, G. (Ed.) The Sustainability Debate (Critical Studies on Corporate Responsibility, Governance and Sustainability, Vol. 14), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 237-250. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2043-905920210000015014