Does engaging with climate science motivate support for climate policy and behaviour change? On Tuesday 25 January at 12 PM, the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit presented findings from the first measure of climate change comprehension in Ireland. The webinar featured results from an experimental test about whether engaging with a short climate science quiz alters support for a carbon tax and willingness to change behaviour. It also provided an overview of findings from the quiz and highlighted where knowledge is good and where gaps remain. The webinar coincided with the publication of Public understanding of climate change and support for mitigation, an ESRI Research Series report by Shane Timmons and Pete Lunn. This report has been published on the ESRI website: https://www.esri.ie/publications/public-understanding-of-climate-change-and-support-for-mitigation Watch report launch video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxW3w3EU-Wo&list=PLh8e-RReCFKPfhEBdBirw3_ifBpnVgFy7

1. Public Understanding of Climate Change
and Support for Mitigation
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ESRI Webinar
25th January 2022
Dr Shane Timmons
Prof. Pete Lunn
Behavioural Research Unit
esri.ie/bru
Research funded by:

2. 81%
11%
8%
How serious a problem do you
think climate change is?
Very serious Fairly serious Not serious
Special Eurobarometer 513 on Climate Change (March-April 2021)
Some polls…
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3. 81%
11%
8%
How serious a problem do you
think climate change is?
Very serious Fairly serious Not serious
Special Eurobarometer 513 on Climate Change (March-April 2021)
Some polls…
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4. Source: Leiserowtiz et al. (2021) Climate Change in the Irish Mind
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Some polls…
18%
18%
11%
50%
3%
Often Occassionally Rarely Never Don't Know
How often, if ever, have you chosen not to eat meat for
environmental reasons? (past 12 months)
81%
11%
8%
How serious a problem do you
think climate change is?
Very serious Fairly serious Not serious
Special Eurobarometer 513 on Climate Change (March-April 2021)
18%
18%
11%
50%
3%
Often Occassionally Rarely Never Don't Know

5. The Problem
People say
climate
change is a
serious
problem
Support for
effective
solutions
X
Better information? What do people already know?
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6. Aims
(1)Provide the first measure of understanding of
climate change among a representative sample of
adults in Ireland
(2)Test the link between comprehension and
willingness to change
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7. 10-minute Climate Quiz
• Day-to-day causes, effects
• Ways to reduce impact
• Relative contribution of
economy sectors
• Ireland vs. other countries
• Pace of change
1
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Study Design

8. Why is Earth’s atmosphere warming?
73.1
16.7
7.4
1.5 1.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Gases Direct heat Natural
changes
Solar output Doesn't believe
climate change
Human Activity Nature
%
participants
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9. Which of the following emit greenhouse gases?
96.1
83.1
0.6
84.3
0.2 0.2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Coal Gas Hydro Oil Solar Wind
%
participants
Energy
0.2
94.4
0.5
66.2
94.3 91.2
Bicycles Diesel
vehicles
Electric
vehicles
Hybrid
vehicles
Petrol
vehicles
Planes
Transport
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10. Sectoral contributions
68.8
32.1
65.4
19.6
80.3
33.8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Agriculture Energy Industry,
commerical
and public
services
Residential Transport Waste
%
participants
Top 3 most greenhouse gases
(Ireland)
(1) (2)
(3)
Source: Environmental Protection Agency (2021). Latest emissions data.
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11. Emissions per person vs. EU?
47.3
34.3
18.4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Highest 25% Highest 50% Lowest 25%
%
participants
Source: EuroStat (2021). Greenhouse gas emissions per capita.
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12. Effects of climate change
84.7
36.4
93.5 90.9
84.0
45.1
88.4
76.7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Changing
bioversity
Spread of
disease
Melting
glaciers & ice
caps & rising
sea levels
More
droughts and
wildfires
More
evaporation,
more
precipitation
& stronger
storms
More volcanic
eruptions
Ocean
warming
Increasing
hole in ozone
layer
%
participants
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13. Relative impact of individual actions
Source: Wynes et al. (2020). Climatic Change.
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7.6
29.9
21.2
26.2
39.9
35.7
46.1
41.2
52.5
34.4
32.7
32.6
0 20 40 60 80 100
Switching from a conventional
car to a hybrid car
Eating a plant-based diet (vegan)
Buying only unpackaged food
Buying only local food
Low Moderate High
Low
Low
High
Mod
Ans.

14. Aims
(1)Provide the first measure of understanding of
climate change among a representative sample of
adults in Ireland
(2)Test the link between comprehension and
willingness to change
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15. 1000 adults
(Nationally Representative)
No Answers
Answers
Randomly
split
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Study Design

16. Study Design
10-minute Climate Quiz
• Day-to-day causes, effects
• Ways to reduce impact
• Relative contribution of
economy sectors
• Ireland vs. other countries
• Pace of change
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1

17. Study Design
Support for Mitigation
• Carbon tax
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2

18. 1000 adults
(Nationally Representative)
No Answers
Answers
No Tax Info
No Answers
Tax Info
No Answers
No Tax Info
Answers
Tax Info
Answers
Randomly
split
Randomly
split
Randomly
split
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Study Design

19. Study Design
Support for Mitigation
• Carbon tax
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2

20. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Not at all A great
deal
%
participants
A carbon tax can encourage businesses and
households to shift toward sustainable energy
sources…
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4
4.2
4.4
4.6
4.8
5
5.2
5.4
No Tax Use Info Tax Use Info
Beleif
(1-7)
Scaled
to
1SD
No Answers Answers
→ Greater belief carbon tax can change behaviour after engaging with quiz answers.
→ No effect of seeing how revenue is used.
Does engaging with climate science
increase support for carbon taxation?

21. 35.4
20.9
43.6
26.6
23.9
49.5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Decreased Tax No Change Increased Tax
%
in
each
information
condition
No Answers Answers
Does engaging with climate science
increase support for carbon taxation?
1 in 4
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18.6
12.5
22.4 22
24.5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
€0-29 €30-40 €41 €42-50 €51-80
%
participants
Ireland's carbon tax should be...
→ Less likely to propose lower carbon tax after engaging with quiz answers.
→ No effect of seeing how revenue is used.

22. Study Design
Support for Mitigation
• Carbon tax
• Willingness to change own
behaviour
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2

23. Future Intentions
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
buy
energy
efficient
bulbs
avoid
single-use
plastics
buy local
food
buy
energy
efficient
appliances
switch to
hybrid
eat less
meat
retrofit
home
eat no
meat
live car
free
Low Mod High
Average
likelihood

24. Future Intentions
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4.6
5.1
5.6
6.1
Low Impact
Behavioural
intentions
(Scaled
to
1SD)
No Answers Answers
3.3
3.8
4.3
4.8
5.3
Moderate Impact
Behavioural
intentions
(Scaled
to
1SD)
No Answers Answers
2.4
2.9
3.4
3.9
4.4
High Impact
Behavioural
intentions
(Scaled
to
1SD)
No Answers Answers
→ More willing to do moderate and high impact actions after engaging with quiz answers.
→ But effect far smaller than effect on policy support.

25. Summary
• Basics of climate change reasonably
well understood
• Relative contributions less so:
oRole of agriculture underappreciated
oUnderstanding actions poorer
• Engaging with climate science
increases support for climate policies
• Statistical but far smaller effect on
behavioural intentions
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https://doi.org/10.26504/rs135