Does information change public support for climate mitigation policies?
Creators: name: Dabla-Norris, Era
name: Khalid, Salma
name: Magistretti, Giacomo
name: Sollaci, Alexandre
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Science Policy

description: Carbon pricing policies can play an important role in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. However, policymakers often cite the lack of public support as a major obstacle to adopting and expanding the coverage of such policies. Using data from a large cross-country survey of about 28,500 people across 28 countries conducted during the summer of 2022, we show that providing information about the costs and benefits of carbon pricing can swing public support. Highlighting the efficacy and revenue recycling potential of carbon pricing increases support, especially in emerging market economies. In contrast, highlighting costs reduces support, but less so for people who report being already significantly impacted by climate change. Moreover, people adopt more negative views of subsidies for renewable energy and low-carbon technologies when the salience of their costs is increased, with the shift being more pronounced for people, especially in advanced economies, who believe that effective climate polices require global efforts. Our results suggest that there is scope to increase public support for climate mitigation measures by providing people with the policy information they may lack. Support for climate change mitigation policies can be increased through information campaigns that clearly communicate the effectiveness and co-benefits of these policies.Given that the costs associated with climate policies are a key public concern, policymakers should provide clear explanations on how these costs are offset by long-term benefits and potential revenue recycling mechanisms.Increasing public awareness of the immediate human and economic losses caused by climate change at the local level can strengthen support for climate policies despite economic costs.Encouraging local and community-centric approaches to climate action by can help address concerns regarding collective action problems and coordination failures, and enhance support for national policy measures. Support for climate change mitigation policies can be increased through information campaigns that clearly communicate the effectiveness and co-benefits of these policies. Given that the costs associated with climate policies are a key public concern, policymakers should provide clear explanations on how these costs are offset by long-term benefits and potential revenue recycling mechanisms. Increasing public awareness of the immediate human and economic losses caused by climate change at the local level can strengthen support for climate policies despite economic costs. Encouraging local and community-centric approaches to climate action by can help address concerns regarding collective action problems and coordination failures, and enhance support for national policy measures.