Policy acceptance of low-consumption governance approaches: the effect of social norms and hypocrisy

Tackling over-consumption of resources and associated emissions at the lifestyle level will be crucial to climate change mitigation. Understanding the public acceptability of policy aimed at behaviour change in this domain will help to focus strategy towards effective and targeted solutions. Across two studies (n = 259, 300) we consider how policy approaches at different levels of governance (individual, community, and national) might be influenced by the inducement of hypocrisy and the activation of social norms. We also examine the influence of these experimental manipulations upon behavioural intention to reduce consumption (e.g., repair not replace, avoiding luxuries). Dynamic social norm framing was unsuccessful in producing an effect on policy acceptance or intentions to reduce consumption. Information provision about the impact of individual consumption on global climate change increased support for radical policies at the national level (banning environmentally harmful consumption practices) and the community level (working fewer hours, sharing material products, collaborative food cultivation), yet the inducement of hypocrisy had no additional effect. This is in contrast to individual-level behavioural intentions, where the inducement of hypocrisy decreased intentions to engage in high-consumption behaviour. This paper concludes with implications for low-consumption governance

Public perceptions of renewable energy technologies: challenging the notion of widespread support

Developing renewable energy is a key part of UK (and European) energy policy to reduce carbon emissions and ensure energy security (DECC, 2009c). Public perception research has consistently shown widespread support for renewable energy and specific technologies (e.g. wind and solar especially); yet at the local level developments often face a lot of opposition (McGowen & Sauter, 2005). Much research has focused on explaining responses at the local level, however little research has examined the often assumed widespread support. Through a mixed-method approach (using both qualitative and more innovative quantitative methods including a decision-pathway approach; Gregory et al., 1997) this research is able to show that there are many nuances and complexities evident in general attitudes and perceptions, which are normally missed when using traditional survey methods. Support for renewables, and wind farms in particular, is to some extent unstable, undefined and qualified, yet this is not often acknowledged in the literature or in practice. The role for more complex attitudes, uncertainty and low-salience is highlighted. The results are discussed in relation to the literature examining local responses, and implications for policy and practice are drawn out. What it means to measure public opinion is discussed. This thesis concludes that there are many viewpoints between strong support and fundamental opposition that need to be acknowledged and engaged with

Of profits, transparency, and responsibility:Public views on financing energy system change in Great Britain

Energy transitions in Great Britain (GB) require public engagement and acceptance, but it is not clear how energy system change is to be financed. In this paper we explore public views on responsibility (of the government in Great Britain, energy companies and residents) to pay for costs associated with energy system change and personal acceptance to contribute financially. Five focus groups with 6-9 participants each, were conducted in four locations across GB. Using thematic analysis to examine responsibility and the role of trust we identified three themes relating to 1) views on profits, 2) lack of transparency and 3) the perceived problematic relationship between energy companies and government. Participants assigned greater responsibility to institutional actors and did not believe that these actors were currently contributing sufficiently. Although participants were prepared to accept some additional costs because they were in favour of energy transitions, they also expressed distrust towards the other actors due to concerns over the profit driven energy system, lack of transparency and perceived close connections between the energy industry and government. These concerns could result in reduced public support for transitions if they remain unaddressed; they highlight a demand for a more equal distribution of costs and benefits and fairer processes in the energy system and transitions

The causal effect of flood experience on climate engagement: evidence from search requests for green electricity

It has been postulated that personal experience of climate change–related weather events may reduce the psychological distance to climate change and trigger engagement in climate protection measures. We use a novel longitudinal dataset on revealed household behaviour and insured damage data to re-examine this relationship, which has mostly been studied by cross-sectional and self-reported data. Using a difference-in-differences estimator, we assess the causal effect of experiencing financial damage from the 2013 floods in Germany on the interest for renewable energy tariffs in online power portals, which we take as a proxy for engagement in climate protection. The results broadly confirm the expected positive effect of flood experience on climate engagement, but there are important non-linear effects. Most notably, the effect drops to zero if damage is very high meaning the causal effect of flood experience on interest in green energy holds only for moderately affected regions. One explanation for this inverted U-shaped effect is that high flood damage may constrain the available budget for costly climate protection, due to high recovery and reconstruction costs. We also suggest a number of psychological mechanisms that may play a role in explaining this non-linear effect, for example non-protective responses such as denial and fatalism if damage is high. When supporting private climate engagement, policymakers should not rely on a motivating effect of damage experience, but should acknowledge the economic and psychological limitations, especially of severely flood-affected households

From nuclear to renewable: Energy system transformation and public attitudes

Avoiding catastrophic climate change will require rapid decarbonization of the world’s energy supply systems, and achieving such a significant transformation will involve a range of social and psychological challenges. The authors write that public consent and acceptability will need to be fostered if plans for large-scale renewable energy systems are to be realized. Despite highly favorable views in national polls, some renewable projects have already encountered severe public contestation. The authors write that valuable lessons can be learned from existing research on the siting controversies that have surrounded nuclear power and radioactive waste facilities. A range of contextual factors drive local opposition: lack of tangible local benefits, threats to valued landscapes or community identity, and distrust of outside agencies. Poorly executed dialogue and communication processes also serve to rapidly escalate concerns. The “facility siting credo” provides an important set of evidence-based principles for those seeking to engage communities about new renewable energy infrastructure projects

British public perceptions of climate risk, adaptation options and resilience (RESiL RISK): Topline findings of a GB survey conducted in October 2019

This report summarises topline findings from a nationally representative survey conducted in October 2019 with 1,401 British respondents to examine public perceptions of climate change, its associated impacts, and to map public support for climate change adaptation and resilience building strategies. The survey results provide evidence for a shift in perceptions among the British public towards greater concern and a general willingness to support steps to address the issue. By comparing the current survey results to previous studies conducted in 2010, 2013 and 2016, this report illustrates how public beliefs have altered over recent years

Acceptance of energy transitions and policies:Public conceptualisations of energy as a need and basic right in the United Kingdom

Energy, and its use in society, can be understood and conceptualised in multiple different ways, emphasising different sets of values and attributes. In this paper, we examine how members of the public conceptualise energy, showing that a particularly salient frame is one of energy as a need and basic right. To orient our analysis we use the concept of framing, as rooted in sociological and psychological literature on framing effects and decision-making. The qualitative analysis draws from two UK datasets. The first consists of five focus groups (n = 37) examining public perceptions of energy transitions. The second dataset consists of four deliberative workshops (n = 46) exploring public perceptions of energy storage. We find that energy is explicitly discussed as a basic need because of its perceived role in ensuring survival, good health and a decent life. This is particularly salient when considering the wellbeing of vulnerable groups. We suggests that ‘energy as a need’ provides a framework for people’s evaluation of proposed changes to the wider energy system including how energy is produced, consumed and governed, and discuss implications for policy and practitioners that seek to ensure low-carbon energy transitions are successful, inclusive and socially acceptable