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Project title

Using European survey data to understand the interaction between attitudes and actions and potential barriers

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Economic & Social Research Institute (ESRI)

Lead Applicant

Anne Nolan

Project Abstract

Attitudes can manifest as the willingness to support measures such as the promotion of renewables and actions manifest as the use of environmentally friendly products, waste reduction, and reduction of meat consumption. However, the understanding of the interaction of these dimensions and their barriers is hindered by certain gaps observed in the scholarly literature that supports policymaking. To meet this challenge, it is crucial to gain a holistic understanding of how policies can be appropriately designed. The recent Eurobarometer surveys contain information on attitudes and actions taken to tackle climate change. (Spandagos et al., 2022) combined this data with contextual variables (i.e., acroeconomic variables) such as energy prices, emissions, and energy efficiency to analyse the drivers of attitudes and actions separately regarding energy consumption. We propose to extend this research to analyse the interaction between attitudes and actions in different consumption domains, and the identification of factors that limit them. We will investigate the role of expenditure in environmental protection provided by Eurostat at a country level and changes in attitudes and actions. We will also analyse actions that require a capital investment such as the purchase of electric vehicles, home insulation, and solar panel installation. In addition, we will investigate how attitudes and actions correlate. We will analyse actions that require changes in consumption patterns such as buying organic products, reducing waste, and reducing meat consumption, and other actions that require capital investment such as the purchase of an electric vehicle. The outcome of this research will help to identify country-specific measures such as increase in expenditure in environmental protection, reduction in emission levels, trust and transparency, and individual-specific characteristics such as political orientation, climate change awareness, education, income. The research will also analyse how attitudes and actions interact and how they can be promoted.

Grant Approved

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Research Hub

Climate Change

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

01/08/2022

Initial Projected Completion Date

31/07/2024