Climate Change Awareness and Institution Perception: An Empirical Analysis of European Countries

Climate awareness of individuals holds a critical place in the design of climate change adaptation and mitigation policies. This study examines the impact of socio-demographic variables and individuals' perceptions of economic and political institutions on climate awareness. Using the European Social Survey (ESS) 10th Round data, the relationship between climate awareness and perception of institutions is analyzed for 19 European Union member countries (20,004 people). The results obtained from ordered logistics model estimations show that the climate awareness of individuals who think that the country they are living in has “inclusive†institutions is higher than those who consider institutions as “extractive.†Evidence also shows that while having a high income and supporting left-wing views positively affects climate awareness, gender, age, and education level have no statistically significant impact on awareness. In addition, the analysis revealed that individuals living in Central and Eastern European countries have higher levels of awareness compared to those in EU-15 countries. These findings imply that besides socio-economic factors, the perception regarding the structure of institutions plays an important role in the process of combating climate change. Accordingly, the study concludes that to pursue more harmonious and effective policies on climate change and environmental issues, EU countries should first develop institutional structures that will increase individual awareness.