Climate change concern, personal responsibility and actions related to climate change mitigation in EU countries: Cross-cultural analysis

Abstract

To achieve the targets of climate change policy, it is important not only to enhance concerns about climate change but also to promote climate-friendly behaviour. Encompassing European Union (EU) countries, the objective of this paper was to analyse how economic development and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions contributed to climate change concerns, personal responsibility, and actions related to climate change mitigation. Furthermore, considering that actions related to climate change mitigation have different costs and benefits, in this study, we aimed to reveal whether climate change concerns and personal responsibility equally influenced all actions related to climate change mitigation and whether all types of actions were guided by the same goals. The results showed that the performance of actions related to climate change mitigation varied across European countries. The largest share of respondents declared that they reduce waste and regularly separate it for recycling. Meanwhile, a smaller share of people noted that they perform very high-cost actions such as the purchase of low-energy homes and electric cars. Economic development level significantly affects the assumption of personal responsibility and the number of actions related to climate change mitigation but not climate change concerns. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions influence climate change concerns, responsibility, and the number of actions differently. Considering separate actions related to climate change mitigation, the assumption of personal responsibility significantly and positively influenced almost all actions. Climate change concerns positively and significantly affected only low-cost actions. Because of the different costs and guiding goals, the respondents who performed one action did not necessarily perform other actions related to climate change mitigation.