Ecological citizenship and climate change: perceptions and practice

Abstract

Ecological citizenship presents a normative account of how citizens should conduct their lives, reducing their environmental impact. Little research has characterised ecological citizenship in practice or in the context of climate change. Q methodology is applied to a case study in Canada to scrutinise how individuals respond to climate change. The results identify four factors - the communitarian, the systemist, the sceptic and the economist - three of which suggest strongly that participants act on perceived individual responsibility for climate change. Practising ecological citizenship motivates individuals' responses to climate change. The actions taken suggest that behavioural change is the result of a complex negotiation between living standards, knowledge of causes of and contributions to climate change, and perceived intensity of greenhouse gas emission. The practice of ecological citizenship involves individuals' actions as voters and consumers, and concerns the power and justice implications of a resource intensive Western lifestyle

Public Understanding of Climate Change as a Social Dilemma

“…This perspective corresponds with what Hobson and Niemeyer [36] observe in the context of public understanding of climate change adaptation-where they refer to ‗collective and other-focussed endeavour' as a motivation of individuals, in which there is explicit recognition of the wider social context. Wolf et al [37] similarly refer to a ‗communitarian' character in many participants' perspective on climate change, in which people emphasise personal responsibility as part of a ‗greater collective'-these authors conclude that such a view was prevalent among those participating in their research in Canada. In psychological terms, this emphasis on the importance of combined effort corresponds to ideas of collective (rather than individual) efficacy and agency.…”

Environment and Mobility: A View from Four Discourses

“…More specifically in the field of environment, Q-methodology has helped explore grazing management decisions made by shepherds (Cruz et al 2007), climate change influences on citizen behavior (Niemeyer et al 2005;Wolf et al 2009) and the effectiveness of international environmental regimes (Frantzi et al 2009). No applications of Q-methodology were found to explore human mobility.…”

Beyond Green Consumerism: Uncovering the Motivations of Green Citizenship

“…Yet many of the studies cited here do not encompass the broad spectrum of everyday behaviors envisioned by green citizenship. Instead, private sphere behaviors are routinely measured by individuals' willingness to purchase green products and reduce household waste, while public sphere behaviors involve support for environmental policies, including increased taxes on petrol and non eco-labeled products (Jagers 2009;Jagers, Martinsson, and Matti 2014;Wolf, Brown, and Conway 2009).…”

“…Empirical research has systematically examined ecological citizenship and the extent to which members of society hold the values and beliefs Dobson highlights (Horton 2005;Jagers 2009;Jagers and Matti 2010;Jagers, Martinsson, and Matti 2014;Seyfang 2006;Wolf, Brown, and Conway 2009). Jagers and Matti (2010) sought to measure ecological citizenship in a Swedish population, while Wolf, Brown, and Conway (2009) explored how Canadian citizens' perceptions of personal responsibility influenced their actions as voters and consumers.…”

“…Jagers and Matti (2010) sought to measure ecological citizenship in a Swedish population, while Wolf, Brown, and Conway (2009) explored how Canadian citizens' perceptions of personal responsibility influenced their actions as voters and consumers. Yet many of the studies cited here do not encompass the broad spectrum of everyday behaviors envisioned by green citizenship.…”