Does risk perception limit the climate change mitigation behaviors?

Abstract

This study aims to explore the potential mediating effect of risk perception between environmental consciousness, social trust and environmental knowledge to climate change mitigation behaviors and community green activity participation. The data were gathered from various categories of age strata in Klang Valley, Malaysia, from which 210 respondents participated in this study. Factor analysis, partial least squares and structural equation modeling tools were used to achieve these aims. The findings indicate that environmental consciousness and social trust are key predictors of risk perception. However, environment knowledge is not significantly related to risk perception. The proposed mediating influence of risk perceptions on mitigation behaviors and green activity participation are not supported.

Victims crossing overflowing watercourses with vehicles in Spain

“…Environmental education through traditional knowledge transfer, reinforcement of the belief in the risk of climate change or influencing on the perception of risk does not seem to be effective to achieve adaptive behaviours (Choonm, Ong, & Tan, 2018; Grothmann & Reusswig, 2006; Li, Juhsáz‐Horváth, Harrison, Pintér, & Rounsevell, 2017); even flood victims do not perceive climate change as a personal and direct risk (Whitmarsh, 2008). Current campaigns are ineffective and mainly reactive, so it is necessary to change the methods, including new information that, if relevant and persuasive, can change behaviours (Bamberg, Ajzen, & Schmidt, 2003).…”

Understanding risk perception from floods: a case study from China

“…In the domain of risk perception, trust is the degree of public reliance on government agencies in managing a risk (Choon et al 2019 ). The relationship between trust and risk perception is an important issue that is also very much debated in risk perception research.…”

“…Also, Wachinger et al found that there was a complex relationship between risk perception and preparedness: individuals with a low risk perception may prepare themselves for natural hazards, while the opposite can also occur (Wachinger et al 2013 ). Choon et al explored the association between risk perception and climate change mitigation behaviors, but the proposed influence of risk perception on mitigation behaviors was not supported (Choon et al Tan 2019 ). Wachinger et al call this weak relationship between risk perception and personal actions “the risk perception paradox” and explain it as follows: (1) individuals choose to accept risk because of the benefits perceived exceeding the potential negative impacts, although they understand the risk; (2) individuals do not realize any agency for actions and transfer the responsibility for action to others although they understand the risk; and (3) the few resources available limit individuals in changing the situation, although they understand the risk (Wachinger et al 2013 ).…”

How do teachers’ perceptions of climate change vary in terms of importance, causes, impacts and mitigation? A comparative study in Bangladesh

“…This is especially true because climate change education in schools and colleges can actually be detrimental if teachers are not well- and scientifically informed about climate change. Littrell et al ( 2020 ) point out that it is important for teachers and students to learn about the causes, consequences and mitigation of climate change because climate change continues to affect communities around the world, even while the process of climate change is slow (Choon et al 2019 ). It is argued that greenhouse gas emissions have reached levels unprecedented since pre-industrial times (Hussain et al 2020 ; Shaffril et al 2018 ).…”

“…One of the biggest challenges of the current century is climate change (Choon et al 2019 ). Over the past two decades, the science behind and the social and economic impacts of global climate change has been the subject of national and international research (Rahman and Lateh 2017 ; Sarkar et al 2012 ).…”