Social attitudes towards climate interventions: Are European publics uninformed about carbon removal and solar radiation management?

Climate interventions such as carbon removal and solar radiation management are now being considered by researchers, policymakers, and the private sector to address climate change. We examine European public perceptions of these interventions through five nationally representative surveys: Austria (N = 1005), Germany (N = 1025), Italy (N = 1002), Norway (N = 1002) and the United Kingdom (N = 1028). We combine this quantitative data with qualitative data from a total of 10 focus groups, with one urban and one rural focus group in each country. We find that public concerns within the five countries can be organized into themes such as climate change attitudes, technology perceptions, and governance. We also offer a comparative assessment of public perceptions organized around the relational themes of familiarity, policy support, aversion to tampering with nature, environmental identity, trust in actors, and experiences of climate change. Stated knowledge and familiarity with carbon removal and solar radiation management influence attitudes towards climate interventions. The great variety of attitudes and preferences confounds attempts to push climate policy or oversight of climate interventions towards applying “one-size-fits-all” policy options. Engaging with these diverse views in the policy process is therefore crucial for equitable deployment and minimizing societal backlash. • Examines public perceptions of climate interventions in Austria, Germany, Italy, Norway and UK. • Combines this quantitative data with qualitative data from a total of 10 focus groups. • Finds that public concerns can be thematically organized across change attitudes, technology, and governance. • Offers comparative assessment of familiarity, policy support, environmental identity, and trust, among others.