Consequence evaluations and moral concerns about climate change: insights from nationally representative surveys across four European countries
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In: Journal of Risk Research, Vol. 22, No. 5, 04.05.2019, p. 610-626.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Consequence evaluations and moral concerns about climate change
T2 - Cambridge Risk and Uncertainty Conference - RUC 2017
AU - Doran, Rouven
AU - Böhm, Gisela
AU - Pfister, Hans-Rüdiger
AU - Steentjes, Katharine
AU - Pidgeon, Nick
PY - 2019/5/4
Y1 - 2019/5/4
N2 - This paper examines consequence evaluations and moral concerns about climate change across four European countries. Data from nationally representative samples (each n > 1000) were analysed in order to explore the relative importance of consequences versus morality in explaining public support for different climate policies. Most respondents expected climate change to have largely negative consequences for their respective country. Climate change consequences were viewed most negatively in Germany, followed by France, the U.K. and Norway. While the vast majority of respondents expressed at least some degree of moral concern about climate change, a notable minority in each sample stated that they have no such concerns. Moral concerns were highest in France, followed by the U.K. and Norway, and lowest in Germany. It was found that both judgements explain support for policies that aim to mitigate climate change or aim to adapt to the impacts of climate change. However, our results further suggest that moral concern was a stronger predictor of policy support than consequence evaluations. If at all, consequence evaluations were more likely to predict policy support in Germany and Norway than in the U.K. and France. Overall, policies that involved subsidies received the strongest support, whereas policies involving individual costs received the least support. This research broadens our understanding of the intertwining between risk perceptions and public support for climate policies, documenting variability across and within countries. Implications for policy-makers with an interest in communicating climate change risks to the broader public audience are discussed.
AB - This paper examines consequence evaluations and moral concerns about climate change across four European countries. Data from nationally representative samples (each n > 1000) were analysed in order to explore the relative importance of consequences versus morality in explaining public support for different climate policies. Most respondents expected climate change to have largely negative consequences for their respective country. Climate change consequences were viewed most negatively in Germany, followed by France, the U.K. and Norway. While the vast majority of respondents expressed at least some degree of moral concern about climate change, a notable minority in each sample stated that they have no such concerns. Moral concerns were highest in France, followed by the U.K. and Norway, and lowest in Germany. It was found that both judgements explain support for policies that aim to mitigate climate change or aim to adapt to the impacts of climate change. However, our results further suggest that moral concern was a stronger predictor of policy support than consequence evaluations. If at all, consequence evaluations were more likely to predict policy support in Germany and Norway than in the U.K. and France. Overall, policies that involved subsidies received the strongest support, whereas policies involving individual costs received the least support. This research broadens our understanding of the intertwining between risk perceptions and public support for climate policies, documenting variability across and within countries. Implications for policy-makers with an interest in communicating climate change risks to the broader public audience are discussed.
KW - Business psychology
KW - climate change
KW - risk perception
KW - moral concerns
KW - cross-national
KW - policy support
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85047245467&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/d55d30dd-126c-3c92-82ec-14d6f19c40ab/
U2 - 10.1080/13669877.2018.1473468
DO - 10.1080/13669877.2018.1473468
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 22
SP - 610
EP - 626
JO - Journal of Risk Research
JF - Journal of Risk Research
SN - 1366-9877
IS - 5
Y2 - 12 June 2017 through 14 June 2017
ER -