Impact of Citizens’ Personal Values, Knowledge, Awareness, Informing, Advertising, and Truth of Environmental and Climate Challenges in Support of the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

In order to raise citizens’ awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to develop an effective communication campaign on the SDGs, it is crucial to know citizens’ values, their awareness and knowledge of the SDGs, as well as how they receive information on sustainability. As no previous study has addressed this issue, this study aimed to fill a research gap and find out how demographic variables, personal values, awareness of sustainability challenges, information, and advertising influence citizens’ support for the SDGs. An online survey was conducted with representative Slovenian citizens (N = 502). The results showed that Slovenian citizens know little about sustainability issues and the SDGs. The greater the personal values, awareness of sustainability issues, higher education, efficient information, and trust in advertising, the greater the public support for the SDGs. To gain citizen support for the SDGs, it is important to plan a systematic communication campaign and government-led communication about the SDGs in the media. This includes information on sustainability issues, presentation of the environmental friendliness of a product/service, potential positive actions, and potential negative consequences.