| Abstract [eng] |
Addressing climate change requires public support for various policy measures. This study investigates public attitudes toward climate change policies in five countries: Lithuania, Finland, Spain, Germany, and Hungary. The fact that climate change is an anthropogenic phenomenon is not a new fact for governments; the EU is putting a great effort at climate change mitigation and adaptation since the European Parliament (EP) and European Commission are working on climate policy that must be implemented by the European Union countries, Lithuania, Germany, Finland, Spain, and Hungary included (European Commission, 2021). However, different CC policy measures have different support in separate European regions. Thus, this study analyses theoretical approaches to different policy measures: command-and-control, economic-based, information based and voluntary based policy measures; these measures are applied in the quantitative analysis as well. The novelty of this research lies in its cross-national, data-driven approach to understanding public support for climate change policies in Europe. By integrating comparative analysis of climate policies with empirical data from the ISSP "Environment" module (2020-2022), this study provides a comprehensive and comparative view of climate policy support across diverse socio-political contexts. This study aims to provide a comparative understanding with a focus on factors influencing support for climate change policies across different EU contexts. The results of the research have shown that command-and-control policies, particularly the reduction of protected nature areas for economic growth, are largely opposed by the public in all countries, with Germany and Finland being the most resistant, and Hungary showing the highest acceptance. Economic-based measures such as paying higher taxes, prices, and reducing standards of living receive the strongest support in Germany and Finland, likely due to their economic stability, while Lithuania and Hungary exhibit the greatest resistance. Informational policies reveal that Hungary and Lithuania place the highest trust in science but are the most skeptical about society's ability to act on climate challenges. Conversely, citizens of Germany, Spain, and Finland show greater optimism about collective action. Voluntary measures find the highest support in Germany, Finland, and Spain. However, Lithuania and Hungary lag significantly, likely due to economic constraints and limited environmental engagement opportunities. Gender and education emerge as critical factors, with women consistently showing higher environmental concern and support for climate action, especially in Germany, Finland, and Spain. Higher education is associated with stronger backing for economic and voluntary policies, particularly in Finland, Germany, and Lithuania, although this correlation varies across regions. In conclusion, Germany, Finland, and Spain are leaders in public support for CC policies, showing proactive engagement and willingness to adapt for a sustainable future. Conversely, Lithuania and Hungary require greater efforts to strengthen public support, address economic challenges, and increase awareness of climate action. |
