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Exploring public opposition and support across different climate policies: Poles apart?

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  • Sælen, Håkon Grøn
  • Aasen, Marianne

Abstract

Based on a 2020-survey of the Norwegian public (N = 2000), we explore attitudes to eight different polices - covering increasing prices, expanding renewable energy production, and limiting petroleum production - through combining correlation, factor, regression, and cluster analyses. The cluster analysis finds that Norwegians sort into two distinct camps: those who are positive or relatively neutral toward all policies, except hydropower, versus those who strongly oppose the price-based policies and restrictions on oil extraction while being a bit more divided for the remaining policies. Regression and cluster analysis combined provide nuanced characteristics of supporters and opponents. A strong age gradient is driven particularly by support among those under thirty and opposition from people in their fifties. Income is a weak predictor of policy attitudes, while there are divides between rural and urban residents as well as between those with university degrees and those with technical or vocational education. Finally, we find that views on immigration are more relevant than traditional left-right ideology. These results are discussed in light of recent literature indicating that opposition to climate policies forms part of a larger attitudinal complex signaling resistance against societal changes generally, and are linked to right-wing populist attitudes.

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  • Sælen, Håkon Grøn & Aasen, Marianne, 2023. "Exploring public opposition and support across different climate policies: Poles apart?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:209:y:2023:i:c:s0921800923001015
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2023.107838
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