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Despite the growing body of literature on the determinants of public behavioral changes with respect to climate change issues, little (and often controversial) research has explored the mechanism of how publicly available information about climate change issues influences public behavior. Drawing upon prior research on this topic, we propose a model to examine the influence of the amount of publicly available information on public behavior towards climate change risks. Theoretical foundations were drawn from the marketing and the social-psychological literature on behavior. Data was collected via an online survey from a large sample of 1126 French individuals, right before, during and after the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. Results of structural equations modeling indicate that an increase in publicly available information about causes and consequences of climate change, as well as about actions to be taken to mitigate it, has an important positive influence on public problem awareness. This in turn positively influences both personal efficacy and public behavioral intentions to fight climate change, two key mediators that spur positive changes in desired climate-friendly public behaviors. • Public information on climate change causes, consequences, and actions fosters sustainable behavior intentions. • Climate problem awareness positively influences both personal efficacy and intentions to fight climate change. • The effect of informedness on climate-friendly behavior is mediated by awareness, personal efficacy and intention. • Decrease in mass media information risks being interpreted by the public that climate change is no longer a threat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goals of this opening paper of the Special Issue are threefold: First, it offers a brief review of the relevant extant literature on the drivers and barriers affecting climate change and the impacts of the organizational changes of MNEs required to face challenges posed by climate change. Then, it provides a comprehensive outline of the papers included in this Special Issue. The papers included in this Special Issue develop a range of topics, such as the contextual factors that influence the design of MNEs' strategies and practices related to climate change, interconnected and critical barriers to MNEs' green business models, the indirect effects of climate change impacts on MNEs, a multilevel framework for assessing strategic organizational responses to climate change, sustainable innovation practices developed by MNEs, and determinants and long-term performance outcomes of corporate carbon strategies, to mention a few. Finally, it proposes some potential avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]