The centre-periphery divide and attitudes towards climate change measures among Western Europeans

Arndt, C., Halikiopoulou, D. and Vrakopoulos, C. (2023) The centre-periphery divide and attitudes towards climate change measures among Western Europeans. Environmental Politics, 32 (3). pp. 381-406. ISSN 1743-8934 doi: 10.1080/09644016.2022.2075155

Abstract/Summary

This article focuses on the spatial dimension of environmental protectionism. Merging regional level and European Social Survey (ESS) data, we examine attitudes towards climate change policies in 186 Western European regions comparatively. Findings from multilevel models confirm that climate policies, which concentrate costs spatially, generate resistance from individuals who incur the costs of these policies. Specifically, individuals in rural and suburban areas who fear income losses and reduced purchasing power are less supportive of climate change policies. Living in poorer regions also drives resistance to such policies. Further, the regional context conditions the effects of egalitarian attitudes. People supporting redistribution oppose climate change measures if they live in poor regions with high unemployment. Overall, we provide empirical evidence of a centre-periphery cleavage dividing Western European attitudes on environment protectionism.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/105013
Identification Number/DOI	10.1080/09644016.2022.2075155
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Arts, Humanities and Social Science > School of Politics, Economics and International Relations > Politics and International Relations
Publisher	Taylor and Francis
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