Climate Change Awareness: Empirical Evidence for the European Union

31 Pages Posted: 3 Jan 2020 Last revised: 7 Feb 2021

See all articles by Donatella Baiardi

Donatella Baiardi

University of Pavia; University of Parma

Claudio Morana

Università di Milano Bicocca; Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca - Department of Economics, Management and Statistics (DEMS); Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca - Center for European Studies (CefES); Center for Economic Research on Pensions and Welfare Policies (CeRP); Rimini Center for Economic Analysis - Europe ETS; Rimini Center for Economic Analysis - HQ

Date Written: November 14, 2020

Abstract

In this paper, we assess public attitudes on climate change in Europe over the last decade. Using aggregate figures from the Special Eurobarometer surveys on Climate Change, we find that environmental concern is directly related to per capita income, social trust, secondary education, the physical distress associated with hot weather, media coverage, the share of young people in the total population, and monetary losses caused by extreme weather episodes. It is also inversely related to greenhouse gas emissions, relative power position of right-wing parties in government, and tertiary education. Moreover, we find a significant, opposite impact for two dummies for years 2017 and 2019, which we respectively associate with the effects of Donald Trump's denial campaigns and the U.S. Paris Agreement withdrawal announcement, and Greta Thunberg's environmental activism.

Keywords: climate change, environmental attitudes/concern, mitigation policy, EU

JEL Classification: Q50, Q54, Q58

Suggested Citation

Baiardi, Donatella and Morana, Claudio, Climate Change Awareness: Empirical Evidence for the European Union (November 14, 2020). University of Milan Bicocca Department of Economics, Management and Statistics Working Paper No. 426, January 2020, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3513061 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3513061

Donatella Baiardi

University of Pavia ( email )

Corso Strada Nuova, 65
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Italy

University of Parma ( email )

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United States

Claudio Morana (Contact Author)

Università di Milano Bicocca ( email )

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Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca - Department of Economics, Management and Statistics (DEMS) ( email )

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Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca - Center for European Studies (CefES) ( email )

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Center for Economic Research on Pensions and Welfare Policies (CeRP) ( email )

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Rimini Center for Economic Analysis - Europe ETS ( email )

Piazza Ateneo Nuovo 1
Milan, 20126
Italy

Rimini Center for Economic Analysis - HQ ( email )

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United States

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