When climate policy resonates: the interplay of framing, party preference, and political trust in shaping policy acceptance

Abstract This article examines whether the effectiveness of three justification framings for a road traffic emission trading system (ETS) in increasing public acceptance depends on political party preference and levels of political trust. The framings emphasized increased energy independence, economic resilience, and efficient climate mitigation. Data were collected via an online survey experiment in Finland, March 2024 ( n = 1,485). Although the justification effects were generally limited, the energy independence framing increased policy acceptance among supporters of the populist radical right Finns Party. Moreover, justification effects were minimal among individuals with high political trust but tended to trigger backlash among those with low trust. Our findings contribute to the literature on climate policy communication by showing that framing effects on policy acceptance depend not only on political preferences but also on political trust.