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Climate change: Personal responsibility and energy saving

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  • Boto-García, David
  • Bucciol, Alessandro

Abstract

We study at the individual level the connection between actions to reduce energy consumption and beliefs about the personal responsibility for climate change mitigation. Also examined is the role of human values and differences between countries in shaping beliefs and actions. Using data from 23 (mostly) European countries, we find large heterogeneity in both beliefs and actions, with wealthy countries more likely to be concerned about the environment. Personal responsibility and efforts to save energy are positively but weakly related. Regarding human values, self-transcendence and openness are positively associated with responsibility, while self-enhancement and conservation are negatively correlated. Values are less connected to energy saving, with a relationship that is positive with conservation and negative with self-enhancement.

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  • Boto-García, David & Bucciol, Alessandro, 2020. "Climate change: Personal responsibility and energy saving," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:169:y:2020:i:c:s0921800919307438
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.106530
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    6. Jakučionytė-Skodienė, Miglė & Krikštolaitis, Ričardas & Liobikienė, Genovaitė, 2022. "The contribution of changes in climate-friendly behaviour, climate change concern and personal responsibility to household greenhouse gas emissions: Heating/cooling and transport activities in the Eur," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    7. Ma, Yuan & Liu, Changshan, 2023. "Configuration analysis of influencing factors of energy-saving behaviors: From the perspective of consumers’ pro-environmental characteristics and environmentally friendly social atmosphere," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(PA).
    8. Zhao, Jinhua & Wang, Xianjia & Niu, Lei & Gu, Cuiling, 2021. "Environmental feedback and cooperation in climate change dilemma," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 397(C).
    9. Liobikienė, Genovaitė & Matiiuk, Yuliia & Krikštolaitis, Ričardas, 2023. "The concern about main crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and climate change's impact on energy-saving behavior," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
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    11. Blanc, Corin, 2022. "L’acceptabilité sociale des politiques environnementales avant le mouvement des Gilets jaunes," Notes de l'Observatoire du bien-être 2215, CEPREMAP.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Climate change; Energy saving; Personal responsibility; Human values;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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