Climate justice beliefs related to climate action and policy support around the world
Abstract Climate justice is increasingly prominent in climate change communication and advocacy but little is known about public understanding of the concept or how widely it resonates with different groups. In our global survey of 5,627 adults in 11 countries spanning the global north and south, most participants (66.2%) had never heard of climate justice. Nonetheless, endorsement of climate justice beliefs was widespread (for example, acknowledging the disproportionate impact of climate change on poor people and the underpinning roles of capitalism and colonialism in the climate crisis). Climate justice beliefs were also associated with various indices of climate action and policy support. These associations tended to be stronger in countries with high GHG emissions and where social inequality is also more politically salient. The results highlight the value of climate justice as a motive for climate action across diverse geographical contexts.
Authors
- Joonha Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0764-5173)
- Jihane Ghorayeb (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8382-4106)
- Sibele D. Aquino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1391-0911)
- Akira Utsugi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6801-2804)
- Karlijn L. van den Broek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0933-1194)
- Samuel Lins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6824-4691)
- Arin H. Ayanian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1659-2824)
- Marc Eric S. Reyes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5280-1315)
- Susan Clayton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2343-6865)
- Charles A. Ogunbode (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7566-5160)
- Rouven Doran (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2773-0068)
- Andreas Zick (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5562-6199)
- JOHN JAMIR BENZON R. ARUTA
Institutions
- Rochester Institute of Technology - Dubai (AE)
- College of Wooster (US)
- University of Nottingham (GB)
- Universidade do Porto (PT)
- Utrecht University (NL)
- Yerevan State University (AM)
- Bielefeld University (DE)
- Heidelberg University (DE)
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
- Kyoto University of Education (JP)
- University of Bergen (NO)
- De La Salle University (PH)
- Nagoya University (JP)
- University of Santo Tomas (PH)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Climate Change
- Published
- 2024-10-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-02168-y
- Citations
- 30
- Primary Topic
- Climate Change Communication and Perception
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 33.96