Does belief matter in climate change action?

We studied environmental action and its predictors in a multi-scalar context of climate change politics. We asked how belief in climate change, post-materialist values, trust and knowledge predict people’s engagement in environmental action by testing two alternative structural equation models (SEM)...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Public understanding of science (Bristol, England) England), 2013-05, Vol.22 (4), p.382-395
Main Authors: Vainio, Annukka, Paloniemi, Riikka
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Authority
Belief & doubt
Climate change
Environment
Finland
Global warming
Knowledge
Politics
Polls & surveys
Statistical methods
Surveys
Testing
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Summary:We studied environmental action and its predictors in a multi-scalar context of climate change politics. We asked how belief in climate change, post-materialist values, trust and knowledge predict people’s engagement in environmental action by testing two alternative structural equation models (SEM). In one of these models all these factors directly predicted climate-friendly action, and in the other the effect of political trust, post-materialist values and climate change knowledge on climate-friendly action was mediated by belief in climate change. The models were tested with Eurobarometer 69.2 survey data of adult people living in Finland (N = 1,004). The SEM revealed that belief in climate change mediates the effect of post-material values, trust and knowledge on climate-friendly action. It is therefore important to recognize the role of belief in the public understanding of large-scale environmental problems. These results help political authorities to develop policies to encourage people’s engagement in climate-friendly action.
ISSN:0963-6625
1361-6609
DOI:10.1177/0963662511410268