The paradox of environmental consciousness: dissecting the gap between climate change awareness, environmental concern and policy support

This article examines the relationship between climate change awareness, environmental concern and support for climate mitigation and environmental policies across 30 countries, using data collected from 2019 to 2022. Drawing on repeated cross-sectional surveys, we combine factor analysis and structural equation modelling to investigate the role of macro-level aspects associated with country specificities, e.g. the level of economic development and the regulatory quality, on the link between awareness, concern and policy support. We consider also factors at the micro level, i.e. traditional drivers associated with citizens’ sociodemographic profiles. Our findings show that while awareness and concern about climate change are widespread, these attitudes do not consistently lead to stronger support for climate mitigation and environmental policies and people’s attitudes are significantly influenced by their country’s stage of development. Notably, support for climate and environmental policies decreases in wealthier nations, potentially due to long-standing environmental regulations and perceived economic costs. Conversely, lower-middle-income and upper-middle-income countries exhibit stronger support for such policies, possibly due to fewer established environmental frameworks and more immediate challenges. These results hold under various specifications and highlight the variability in public support for climate action, shaped by both economic conditions and policy histories, challenging the assumption that higher awareness and concern automatically lead to increased policy backing.The study shows that awareness of and concern for climate change alone are not enough to ensure support for climate and environmental mitigation policies.It reveals an inverse relationship between national income levels and support for climate and environmental policies, with higher-income countries showing decreased support. This suggests that policy design should account for economic status, possibly introducing more incentives in wealthier nations to maintain engagement.Results show lower support for climate and environmental policy in wealthier countries due to fatigue, suggesting the need for innovative policy renewal that engages the public.Lower-income countries display a higher readiness to support climate initiatives, pointing to opportunities for ambitious policy introductions aligned with economic and social goals. Demonstrating the economic advantages of climate policies can make them more appealing and urgent to the public.The results of this research suggest the need to develop communication strategies that are specifically tailored to national social and economic realities.