Empowering Future Energy Citizens: How Knowledge, Environmental Attitudes, and Student Characteristics Shape Perceptions of Renewables?

This study investigates the knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to support renewable energy among over 6,000 Greek lower secondary students, providing a comprehensive, data-driven exploration of factors influencing youth support for renewable energy initiatives The study aims to analyse overall opinions on renewables based on perceived and objective knowledge, pro-environmental attitudes, and important socio-demographic variables. Regression analyses indicate that people who hold pro-environmental attitudes are the most consistent and strongest supporters of these systems. However, knowledge has complex effects, increasing general support but at times decreasing support for local trade-offs. The results confirm the crucial role of pro-environmental attitudes in fostering youth support for renewable energy, while highlighting important gaps in objective knowledge, especially around bioenergy and national energy specifics. These findings highlight the importance of special environmental education efforts that focus on addressing the knowledge-attitude gap and fostering informed and committed support for renewable energy policies by young people, vital not only for Greece but also all of Europe in its quest for green energy.