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Ten-year panel data confirm generation gap but climate beliefs increase at similar rates across ages

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  • Taciano L. Milfont

    (University of Waikato)

  • Elena Zubielevitch

    (University of Auckland)

  • Petar Milojev

    (University of Auckland)

  • Chris G. Sibley

    (University of Auckland)

Abstract

Accumulating evidence indicates that climate change awareness and concern has increased globally, but commentators suggest a climate change generation gap whereby younger people care more about climate change than older people. Here we use a decade of panel data from 56,513 New Zealanders to test whether belief that “Climate change is real” and “Climate change is caused by humans” increased over the 2009-2018 period; and whether changes are uniform across 12 five-year birth cohorts spanning those born from 1936 to 1995. Results confirm a generation gap in mean (intercept) climate change beliefs but not in over-time increase (slope). The generation gap occurs because older cohorts started from a lower initial belief level (circa 2009), but all age cohorts increased their belief level at a similar rate over the last decade; and these results were not qualified by respondents’ gender. The findings offer hope for collective action that bridges efforts across generations.

Suggested Citation

  • Taciano L. Milfont & Elena Zubielevitch & Petar Milojev & Chris G. Sibley, 2021. "Ten-year panel data confirm generation gap but climate beliefs increase at similar rates across ages," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-24245-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24245-y
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrés Navarro & Francisco J. Tapiador, 2023. "Twitch as a privileged locus to analyze young people’s attitudes in the climate change debate: a quantitative analysis," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Marlis C. Wullenkord & Josephine Tröger & Karen R. S. Hamann & Laura S. Loy & Gerhard Reese, 2021. "Anxiety and climate change: a validation of the Climate Anxiety Scale in a German-speaking quota sample and an investigation of psychological correlates," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 168(3), pages 1-23, October.
    3. Stefano Basilico & Nils Grashof, 2023. "The transition of brown regions: A matter of timing?," Jena Economics Research Papers 2023-003, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    4. von Wright, Tuuli & Kaseva, Janne & Kahiluoto, Helena, 2022. "Needs must? Fair allocation of personal carbon allowances in mobility," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).

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