International Attitudes toward Climate Policies

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Climate policies have been difficult to implement even when the objective of limiting global warming is broadly accepted. Therefore, understanding the determinants of public support for climate policies is crucial for policy makers devising and implementing strategies to achieve net zero emissions targets.

But while commitments and pledges to curb climate change are growing, policies to achieve these goals are still lagging behind. With currently implemented policies, average temperatures are still projected to rise to around 2.7°C by 2100 according to the IPCC.

Explore the results from our study!

Countries covered by the study

Countries covered by the study

Results: 3 main things to do for Governments

  1. Accelerate the availability of low-carbon alternatives
    • Green alternatives need to be made available in priority to exposed households
    • Making public transport widely available increases support for bans of combustion engine cars by about 10% on average across all countries.
  2. Ensure that vulnerable groups are not disproportionally affected by climate policies
    3. Carbon pricing can be strongly supported if revenues are:
    • used to finance green infrastructure and low-carbon technologies
    • redistributed to low-income or exposed households
  3. Inform citizens about how climate policies work and who they affect
    • Informing about the consequences of climate change does not improve support, but infoirming about how policies work does
    • Information campaigns should explain how the policies are effective at reducing emissions, and who will win or lose from the policy

High-incomeAustraliaCanadaDenmarkFranceGermanyItalyJapanPolandSouth KoreaSpainUnited KingdomUnited StatesMiddle-incomeBrazilChinaIndiaIndonesiaMexicoSouth AfricaTurkeyUkraineSupport for Main Climate PoliciesGreen infrastructure programBan on combustion-engine carsCarbon tax with cash transfersSupport for Other Climate PoliciesSubsidies to low-carbon technologiesMandatory and subsidized insulation of buildingsBan on polluting cars in city centersFunding clean energy in less developed countriesBan on combustion-engine cars w. alternatives availableTax on flying (+20%)Tax on fossil fuels ($45/tCO2)Support for Carbon Tax with:Funding environmental infrastructuresSubsidies to low-carbon tech.Reduction in personal income taxesCash transfers to the poorest householdsCash transfers to constrained householdsTax rebates for the most affected firmsReduction in the public deficitEqual cash transfers to all householdsReduction in corporate income taxesSupport for Cattle-Related PoliciesSubsidies on organic and local vegetablesBan of intensive cattle farmingRemoval of subsidies for cattle farmingA high tax on cattle products doubling beef prices587849565558427949845869707656527681797972694364364642273154416744525462464260717764525848683946434241575066485956645347597876716263375934423128274735563553435636344779706652393648363943323238354127423952393635586357382745523544594654414751444244454734396163664336607153606758497664736052646066506473738565676773626467586479696775717475675977746779756855734850534947765374565665665251637174807678667670646965617158727271757055817375303624263229393719373026312733343347483024566843496054567144587362658150456280775957343931333229394315473330413137414347492722423833403156486417464344433351393850442825506449423756476246593962606653455970627359615473504843574769526650596482584767836886646238613737274531424262374244593338457063755753576951473864537263696862686751496974667368643758283124372555386147485060263154675866494248624040375334664854615955564142597264676356637559486066617656736878697363587877718179696373584953586676677271796966615674806779786648634039345241655061564861584449627164696252
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Importance of climate change

Importance of climate change

Knowledge

Knowledge

Willigness to act

Willigness to act

Support for climate policies

Support for climate policies

Perceived characteristics

Perceived characteristics