A global survey of over 30,000 participants revealed that countries in the Global South are generally more hopeful about climate change than European nations. It also found significant differences in associated emotions, with Brazil reporting the highest levels of fear and worry. The study highlights the importance of engaging with diverse perspectives in climate change discussions and the relationship between climate emotions and support for intervention technologies.
A recent global survey encompassing over 30,000 individuals across 30 countries has revealed diverse emotions correlating with climate change perceptions and support for interventions. Conducted by researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria, this study sheds light on the emotional landscape surrounding climate issues. The research, published in Risk Analysis, collected responses between August and December 2022 in 19 languages.
The researchers examined five “climate emotions”: fear, hope, anger, sadness, and worry. Findings indicated that the most hopeful respondents predominantly hailed from developing and emerging economies in the Global South, such as Nigeria, Kenya, India, and Indonesia. In contrast, countries in Europe, including Germany, Austria, and Sweden, reported lower levels of hope, despite their reduced exposure to natural disasters and a lower anticipation of climate change impacts.
Participants from southern European nations, such as Spain, Italy, and Greece, displayed heightened feelings of anger and sadness concerning climate change. Notably, Brazilians expressed the highest levels of fear and worry, indicating significant concern and apprehension.
The study also aimed to analyze the link between climate emotions and support for climate intervention technologies, such as solar radiation management (SRM) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Chad M. Baum, the lead author and Assistant Professor at Aarhus University, emphasized the growing importance of climate interventions due to the urgency of climate disaster evidence and the slow pace of emissions reductions.
The research identified hope as a pivotal factor influencing support for innovative climate interventions, particularly in Global South respondents. While fear also positively correlated with support for such technologies, hope and worry were more significant predictors. Baum stated, “Together with hope and worry, this suggests that fear, and its desire for protective action, is positively linked to support for more controversial forms of climate intervention.”
This study highlights the varied climate emotions across different regions, emphasizing the need to engage with distinct perspectives on climate change and potential solutions from the Global South. The disparities in climate emotions underline the importance of inclusive dialogues around climate interventions, which may ultimately shape effective global responses to climate challenges.
The survey reveals a pronounced difference in climate emotions, with countries in the Global South exhibiting greater hope compared to their European counterparts. Notably, the findings indicate correlations between climate emotions and support for various intervention strategies, primarily driven by hope and concern among respondents. These results highlight the necessity for a comprehensive understanding of diverse emotional responses to climate change, paving the way for more inclusive approaches in global climate policy discussions.
Original Source: www.technologynetworks.com
