IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i8p4376-d536163.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Role of Environmental Attitudes in Explaining Public Perceptions of Climate Change and Renewable Energy Technologies in Lithuania

Author

Listed:
  • Aistė Balžekienė

    (Civil Society and Sustainability Research Group, Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Kaunas University of Technology, 44249 Kaunas, Lithuania)

  • Agnė Budžytė

    (Civil Society and Sustainability Research Group, Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Kaunas University of Technology, 44249 Kaunas, Lithuania)

Abstract

The Baltic states in general and Lithuania in particular represent a controversial combination of rapidly increasing climate change impacts and moderate or low concern with the climate crisis. A value shift is essential for the societal support and acceptance of renewable energy solutions. This study investigates the role of environmental attitudes in shaping the acceptance and risk perceptions of renewable energy technologies. The article analyses how environmental attitudes are shaping public attitudes towards climate change and perceptions of renewable energy technologies in Lithuania using New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) and environmental identity questions. The study analyses data from a representative public opinion survey with 1029 respondents conducted in Lithuania. The results reveal that environmental identity is a more significant factor in shaping risk perceptions of renewable technologies than is the NEP scale. The balance of nature dimension from the NEP is more closely related to perceptions of renewables than are humans’ right to rule claims. The results show that environmental attitudes have low explanatory power in explaining perceptions of energy technologies in Lithuania.

Suggested Citation

  • Aistė Balžekienė & Agnė Budžytė, 2021. "The Role of Environmental Attitudes in Explaining Public Perceptions of Climate Change and Renewable Energy Technologies in Lithuania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-15, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:8:p:4376-:d:536163
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/8/4376/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/8/4376/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wang, Jing & Li, Yazhou & Wu, Jianlin & Gu, Jibao & Xu, Shuo, 2020. "Environmental beliefs and public acceptance of nuclear energy in China: A moderated mediation analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    2. Stamatios Ntanos & Grigorios Kyriakopoulos & Miltiadis Chalikias & Garyfallos Arabatzis & Michalis Skordoulis, 2018. "Public Perceptions and Willingness to Pay for Renewable Energy: A Case Study from Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, March.
    3. Sapci, Onur & Considine, Timothy, 2014. "The link between environmental attitudes and energy consumption behavior," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 29-34.
    4. Thogersen, John & Olander, Folke, 2002. "Human values and the emergence of a sustainable consumption pattern: A panel study," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 23(5), pages 605-630, October.
    5. Jeryl L. Mumpower & Xinsheng Liu & Arnold Vedlitz, 2016. "Predictors of the perceived risk of climate change and preferred resource levels for climate change management programs," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(6), pages 798-809, June.
    6. Piotr F. Borowski, 2020. "Zonal and Nodal Models of Energy Market in European Union," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    7. Michael W. Slimak & Thomas Dietz, 2006. "Personal Values, Beliefs, and Ecological Risk Perception," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(6), pages 1689-1705, December.
    8. Stamatios Ntanos & Grigorios Kyriakopoulos & Michalis Skordoulis & Miltiadis Chalikias & Garyfallos Arabatzis, 2019. "An Application of the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) Scale in a Greek Context," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, January.
    9. Stigka, Eleni K. & Paravantis, John A. & Mihalakakou, Giouli K., 2014. "Social acceptance of renewable energy sources: A review of contingent valuation applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 100-106.
    10. Alexandra Buylova & Brent S. Steel & Christopher A. Simon, 2020. "Public Perceptions of Energy Scarcity and Support for New Energy Technologies: A Western U.S. Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, January.
    11. מחקר - ביטוח לאומי, 2006. "Summary for 2005," Working Papers 29, National Insurance Institute of Israel.
    12. Wen Xue & Anthony D.G. Marks & Donald W. Hine & Wendy J. Phillips & Shouying Zhao, 2018. "The new ecological paradigm and responses to climate change in China," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3), pages 323-339, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Efi Drimili & Ζoi Gareiou & Efthimios Zervas, 2020. "Public perceptions of the concept of green growth: application in Athens, Greece, during a period of economic crisis," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 6053-6076, October.
    2. Theodoros Anagnostopoulos & Grigorios L. Kyriakopoulos & Stamatios Ntanos & Eleni Gkika & Sofia Asonitou, 2020. "Intelligent Predictive Analytics for Sustainable Business Investment in Renewable Energy Sources," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-11, April.
    3. Anna Kowalska-Pyzalska, 2019. "Do Consumers Want to Pay for Green Electricity? A Case Study from Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-20, March.
    4. Anna Kowalska-Pyzalska, 2018. "An Empirical Analysis of Green Electricity Adoption Among Residential Consumers in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    5. Dimitrios Drosos & Michalis Skordoulis & Garyfallos Arabatzis & Nikos Tsotsolas & Spyros Galatsidas, 2019. "Measuring Industrial Customer Satisfaction: The Case of the Natural Gas Market in Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-16, March.
    6. Anna Kowalska-Pyzalska, 2018. "An empirical analysis of green energy adoption among residential consumers in Poland," HSC Research Reports HSC/18/01, Hugo Steinhaus Center, Wroclaw University of Technology.
    7. Anna Kowalska-Pyzalska & David Ramsey, 2018. "Household willingness to pay for green electricity in Poland," HSC Research Reports HSC/18/04, Hugo Steinhaus Center, Wroclaw University of Technology.
    8. Abdullah Tarinc & Gozde Seval Ergun & Arif Aytekin & Ali Keles & Ozlem Ozbek & Huseyin Keles & Ozgur Yayla, 2023. "Effect of Climate Change Belief and the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) on Eco-Tourism Attitudes of Tourists: Moderator Role of Green Self-Identity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-27, March.
    9. Sebastian Zwickl-Bernhard & Hans Auer, 2021. "Citizen Participation in Low-Carbon Energy Systems: Energy Communities and Its Impact on the Electricity Demand on Neighborhood and National Level," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-22, January.
    10. Jacek Brożyna & Grzegorz Mentel & Eva Ivanová & Gennadii Sorokin, 2019. "Classification of Renewable Sources of Electricity in the Context of Sustainable Development of the New EU Member States," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-22, June.
    11. Dimitrios Drosos & Grigorios L. Kyriakopoulos & Garyfallos Arabatzis & Nikolaos Tsotsolas, 2020. "Evaluating Customer Satisfaction in Energy Markets Using a Multicriteria Method: The Case of Electricity Market in Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-19, May.
    12. Michalis Skordoulis & Grigorios Kyriakopoulos & Stamatiοs Ntanos & Spyros Galatsidas & Garyfallos Arabatzis & Miltiadis Chalikias & Petros Kalantonis, 2022. "The Mediating Role of Firm Strategy in the Relationship between Green Entrepreneurship, Green Innovation, and Competitive Advantage: The Case of Medium and Large-Sized Firms in Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-18, March.
    13. Productivity Commission, 2006. "Review of Price Regulation of Airports Services," Inquiry Reports, Productivity Commission, Government of Australia, number 40.
    14. MacCarty, Nordica A. & Bryden, Kenneth Mark, 2016. "An integrated systems model for energy services in rural developing communities," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 536-557.
    15. Grégoire Wallenborn & Catherine Rousseau & Karine Thollier, 2006. "Détermination de profils de ménages pour une utilisation plus rationnelle de l’energie," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/192217, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    16. Piotr Siemiątkowski & Patryk Tomaszewski & Joanna Marszałek-Kawa & Janusz Gierszewski, 2020. "The Financing of Renewable Energy Sources and the Level of Sustainable Development of Poland’s Provinces in the Area of Environmental Order," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-19, October.
    17. Bhalotra, Sonia & Clarke, Damian & Mühlrad, Hanna & Palme, Mårten, 2021. "Health and Labor Market Impacts of Twin Birth : Evidence from a Swedish IVF Policy Mandate," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1391, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    18. N. N., 2005. "60th Euroconstruct Conference: The Prospects for the European Construction Market 2006-2008. Summary Report," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 25838, April.
    19. Lei Jin & Nicholas Chrisatakis, 2009. "Investigating the mechanism of marital mortality reduction: The transition to widowhood and quality of health care," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 46(3), pages 605-625, August.
    20. Ankit Gupta & Hemant Bherwani & Sneha Gautam & Saima Anjum & Kavya Musugu & Narendra Kumar & Avneesh Anshul & Rakesh Kumar, 2021. "Air pollution aggravating COVID-19 lethality? Exploration in Asian cities using statistical models," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 6408-6417, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:8:p:4376-:d:536163. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.