Different Countries, Common Support for Climate Change Mitigation: The Case of Germany and Poland

Zbigniew Bohdanowicz

doi:10.3390/cli9020027

Abstract

There are numerous studies assessing the influence of individual sociological, political, and demographic factors on attitudes towards climate change. However, there is still a need for a deeper understanding of the reasons behind these attitudes and for research based on results from more than one country. This study empirically examines a range of psychosocial and demographic determinants of support for climate policy (renewable energy, energy efficiency and carbon tax) in Germany and Poland (n = 1969). The results show that the societies of both countries, despite significant differences in income, culture and political stance on climate change, similarly support implementation of climate policies. For both countries valid predictors of support are: awareness, emotional response to climate crisis, sense of control, and belief in effectiveness of solutions; the study also shows predictors relevant in only one country. Factor analysis identified similar dimensions of attitudes toward climate change in both countries. The main findings show that support for climate policy is high in both countries and that the public is ready to accept more ambitious climate goals. Despite the differences between the countries, a coherent climate policy seems justified. The study also shows differences between the countries and provides recommendations for policymakers.

Highlights

One-third of the stated amount was allocated to enhancement of energy efficiency (35% in Germany; 33% in Poland), while the smallest part was spent on introducing a carbon tax (18% in Germany; 16% in Poland)
2030, versus 1990 levels, are likely to be well-received by the public in individual member states. This result confirms data obtained by Bernauer and Gampfer, who concluded on the basis of a survey conducted in the USA and India that, in both countries, despite significant differences in terms of their GDP levels, societies are ready to accept more rapidly implemented and ambitious climate policies than those currently being realized by politicians [65]
The study show that populations in countries that differ significantly in their income levels, culture and the attitudes of their governments may be supportive of measures to mitigate climate change

Summary

Introduction

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report SR 1.5, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 50% by 2030. Such radical change would require widespread implementation of new regulations to facilitate the transformation of energy production, improve energy efficiency, internalize the negative effects of fossil fuel use (e.g., with a carbon tax) and enforce better management of land use. The assessment of factors influencing perceptions of climate change has been the subject of research for the past few decades. An exception among studies assessing climate change perceptions is the work carried out by Poorting et al using data from the European Social Survey for 22 countries.

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion