Exploring Citizen Support for Different Types of Climate Policy

Abstract

Citizen support for climate policies is considered an important criterion in climate policy-making. While there is a growing body of literature exploring factors of citizen support, most studies tend to use climate policy support as an aggregate variable, overlooking differences in support for different climate policy types. This study examines citizen support for several market-based, regulatory, and voluntary climate policies using survey data collected from a representative sample of Canadian citizens (n=1306). Specifically, the research objectives are to (1) assess citizen support for different types of climate policies, (2) identify the key factors associated with citizen support for different policy types, and (3) explore heterogeneity across respondents based on policy support patterns. Results indicate that most regulatory and voluntary policies receive high levels of support (83–90% of respondents), while a carbon tax receives the highest levels of opposition (47%). Regression analysis identifies several factors associated with citizen support, including values, trust, and household features. However, only a few factors are consistently associated with support across policy types, including being concerned about climate change, having trust in scientists, and being female. Other significant factors are unique to different policy types. Cluster analysis identifies four distinct respondent clusters based on policy support.