Social class and the support for environmental policies

Abstract This article examines support for environmental policies and provides new evidence on the role of social class and the rural–urban divide. We analyze how occupational structure, either through the economic costs individuals may incur when such policies are implemented or through value preferences shaped by the workplace, influence support for these policies. Drawing on data from Round 8 of the European Social Survey (ESS8) and 2 alternative class-structure classifications, our findings reveal 3 key insights. First, on the vertical dimension, we find that costlier measures face stronger resistance from lower socioeconomic groups. Second, on the horizontal dimension, sociocultural professionals emerge as the social class most supportive of environmental policies, while manual workers are the most reluctant to accept them. Finally, our results indicate that the interaction between social structure and the territorial dimension is weak. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of the social cleavages that may influence the ecological transition.