The Role of Place: An Analysis of Climate Change Perception in the European Union

Abstract

A clear consideration for designing strong climate policy is to account for the perception of the seriousness of climate change among citizens. In order to understand climate change perceptions in the European Union (EU), this study relies on Eurobarometer survey data to examine the impacts of place-based factors, including regional spaces and place attachment to supra-national spaces. The results indicate that regional differences and place attachment to the EU are strong predictors of climate change concern, net of the effects of other factors. These findings suggest that place-based indicators can serve as a useful analytical tool for the study of climate change public opinion. The study concludes by providing implications and suggestions for future research on climate change public opinion and climate policy.