scholarly journals Outcome expectancies moderate the association between worry about climate change and personal energy-saving behaviors

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0252105
Author(s):  
Thea Gregersen ◽  
Rouven Doran ◽  
Gisela Böhm ◽  
Wouter Poortinga
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Outcome Expectancies ◽  
Outcome Expectancy ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
Change Beliefs ◽  
Personal Energy

This paper explores whether efficacy beliefs can alter the relationship between worry about climate change and personal energy-saving behaviors, controlling for climate change beliefs and socio-demographics. For this purpose, we used data from 23 countries that participated in the European Social Survey Round 8 (N = 44 387). Worry about climate change, personal efficacy, personal outcome expectancy, and collective outcome expectancy were each associated with personal energy-saving behaviors concerning either energy curtailment or energy efficiency. The results further show that outcome expectancies moderate the association between worry about climate change and both types of energy behaviors. Worry was more strongly related to energy curtailment behaviors among those with high levels of personal and collective outcome expectancy. A similar pattern was found for energy efficiency behaviors, which were more strongly predicted by worry about climate change when combined with high levels of collective outcome expectancy. These findings are relevant for climate change communication, especially informational campaigns aiming to lower overall household energy use.

Cleaner, greener data centres

ITNOW ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 18-20
Author(s):  
John Booth
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Data Centre ◽  
Eu Directives ◽  
Data Centres

Abstract John Booth MBCS, Data Centre Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Consultant at Carbon3IT, explores the detrimental trajectory of data centre energy use, against a backdrop of COP26, climate change and proposed EU directives.

scholarly journals Four Europes: Climate change beliefs and attitudes predict behavior and policy preferences using a latent class analysis on 23 countries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ondřej Kácha ◽  
Jáchym Vintr ◽  
Cameron Brick
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Latent Class Analysis ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Class Analysis ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Change Beliefs ◽  
Climate Change Attitudes

Building public will for climate action requires designing messages for different audiences. Previous studies that identified groups based on similar beliefs, behavior, and political preferences related to climate change were in single countries and were not pre-registered. The current study ran latent class analysis on the European Social Survey (ESS 2016, N= 44,387) to identify groups of people according to their climate change attitudes and beliefs in 22 European countries and Israel. We found strong evidence for four groups: Engaged (18%), Conflicted (18%), Indifferent (42%), and Skeptical (21%) and we compare the segment structure and proportions within Europe and to other countries. We identify differences between the groups in values, life satisfaction, and social trust, and then revealed that the groups uniquely predict self-reported behaviors not included in the segmentation. The findings characterize climate change beliefs for all of Europe and guide governments and pan-European bodies in designingeffective communications to promote climate beliefs and actions.

scholarly journals Climate Change Helplessness and the (De)moralization of Individual Energy Behavior.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Salomon ◽  
Jesse Preston ◽  
Melanie B. Tannenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Conservation Behavior ◽  
Energy Behavior ◽  
Individual Actions ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Personal Energy

Although most people understand the threat of climate change, they do little to modify their own energy conservation behavior. One reason for this gap between belief and behavior may be that individual actions seem un-impactful and therefore are not morally relevant. This research investigates how climate change helplessness—belief that one’s actions cannot affect climate change—can undermine the moralization of climate change and personal energy conservation. In Study 1, climate change efficacy predicted both moralization of energy use and energy conservation intentions beyond individual belief in climate change. In Studies 2 and 3, participants read information about climate change that varied in efficacy message, that is, whether individual actions (e.g., using less water, turning down heat) make a difference in the environment. Participants who read that their behavior made no meaningful impact reported weaker moralization and intentions (Study 2), and reported more energy consumption one week later (Study 3). Moreover, effects on intentions and actions were mediated by changes in moralization. We discuss ways to improve climate change messages to foster environmental efficacy and moralization of personal energy use.

scholarly journals The Effect of Trust on the Various Dimensions of Climate Change Attitudes

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 10200
Author(s):  
Ákos Bodor ◽  
Viktor Varjú ◽  
Zoltán Grünhut
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
National Level ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Individual Responsibility ◽  
Change Beliefs ◽  
The Individual

The struggle against climate change will not be successful without a sufficient level of collective action. However, a necessary precondition for this is the existence of trust between people. The literature on trust and attitudes to climate change is displaying a growing tendency, and today the results of numerous empirical studies are available. Although, for the time being, on the basis of these studies, we only have a fragmented picture from which it appears that trust is having a significant effect on attitudes to climate change at both the micro and macro levels. The current paper tries to progress on this path and reveal the role of trust in various dimensions of the attitude to climate change using the data of the European Social Survey originating from 22 countries. The results show that while climate change beliefs and climate concern display no relationship with trust, neither on the individual or national level, trust does have a clear effect on the feeling of individual responsibility in connection with climate change and on support for the various policy measures. In addition, it is also investigated whether the effect of trust can be shown to exist in the relationships between climate concern and the feeling of individual responsibility, and climate concern and policy support. The results show that in both cases the relationship is stronger in those countries characterized by a higher level of social trust.

scholarly journals Environmental Impact Assessment of Renovated Multi-Apartment Building Using LCA Approach: Case Study from Lithuania

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1542
Author(s):  
Vidhyalakshmi Chandrasekaran ◽  
Jolanta Dvarioniene ◽  
Ausrine Vitkute ◽  
Giedrius Gecevicius
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Environment Impact ◽  
Total Energy Consumption ◽  
Operational Energy ◽  
Modernization Process ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Current Energy

In Europe, more than 75% of buildings are energy inefficient according to current energy standards. These buildings account for 40% of total energy consumption. Therefore, addressing the energy efficiency of existing buildings through various renovation measures remains of critical importance. In this study, two differently renovated multi-apartment buildings were selected to evaluate its environment impact using life cycle assessment. The buildings were built during the early 1980s, which did not meet the current energy efficiency standards. In recent times, these buildings were revised by Governmental agencies through the modernization process. The aim of the assessment is to study the environmental impacts associated with different renovation measures that has been carried out. This assessment covers the impact of new materials added, and the operational energy use. The study reveals that renovation stage accounts for 19% CO2 emission. The renovated buildings with renewable measures have a significant impact over climate change than the conventional renovation measures. Moreover, the potential savings in thermal energy used for space heating and domestic hot water preparation are 25% and 40% after conventional and renewable measures renovation, respectively. It was concluded that the total climate change potential could be reduced from 12% and 48% by retrofitting combined with renewable energy measures.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of China’s Labeling and Incentive Programs for Household Energy Conservation and Policy Implications

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1923
Author(s):  
Zhuangai Li ◽  
Xia Cao
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Durable Goods ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Air Conditioners ◽  
Incentive Programs ◽  
Consumption Decisions

With incomplete information about the potential benefits and costs of energy-using durables, households may be unwilling to invest in products that are more energy-efficient but also more expensive in purchase decisions. To deal with this problem, labeling policy has been developed to guide customers’ energy consumption decisions by providing understandable information to evaluate the energy efficiency of products. Over the last 20 years, China has implemented a series of mandatory and voluntary energy labeling and incentive policies to reduce energy use and improve the energy efficiency of durable goods in dwellings. This study has employed empirical survey data from the Chinese General Social Survey to study the implementation effectiveness of these policies and explore demographic factors behind consumer investments in energy-saving durables by using the logistic regression model. Statistical results show that energy efficiency labeling, incentive programs, education levels, and regional differences of customers appear to be strong predictors for investing in energy-efficient air conditioners and washing machines. House size is a decisive factor in driving consumers to choose energy-saving air conditioners. In light of the above results, the study suggests improved policy for motivating consumers to purchase energy-efficient appliances in dwellings.

scholarly journals Energy Efficiency or Conservation for Mitigating Climate Change?

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 3543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Moriarty ◽  
Damon Honnery
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Passenger Transport ◽  
Domestic Energy ◽  
To Come

Given that global energy use today is still dominated by fossil fuels, there is an urgent need to rapidly reduce its use in order to avert serious climate change. However, the alternatives to fossil fuels—renewable and nuclear energy—are more expensive, and have so far done little to displace fossil fuels. Accordingly, reducing energy use must play an important part in both averting climate change and avoiding the depletion of high energy return easily recoverable fossil fuel reserves. This paper examined both the potential and barriers to the adoption of energy reduction measures, with particular attention to domestic energy and passenger transport. The main finding was that energy efficiency approaches alone are unlikely to deliver anywhere near the energy reductions needed in the limited time available. Instead, most energy reductions will have to come from energy conservation, involving less use of energy-using devices, including private vehicles. Achieving such reductions will require changes in lifestyles, especially for residents of OECD nations.

scholarly journals The Climate Change Dilemma: How Cooperation Beliefs Influence Energy Conservation Behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5575
Author(s):  
Christiane Lübke
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Environmental Behavior ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Conservation Behavior ◽  
Individual Incentive ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change ◽  
Save Energy ◽  
High Level

Despite widespread belief in anthropogenic climate change and high levels of concern about its consequences, behavioral changes necessary to adequately address climate change appear difficult to achieve. This concern–behavior gap is often explained by the public goods character of climate change mitigation, which is associated with a high individual incentive to take a free ride when possible. This paper examines cooperation beliefs and their impact on individuals’ energy conservation behavior. Analyzing data from the European Social Survey, it appears that cooperation beliefs are rather low in Europe and that most people do not expect others to limit their energy use to help mitigate climate change. This low trust contrasts with individuals’ reported level of energy conservation behavior and the general high level of energy conservation in most European countries. This trust gap has important implications for pro-environmental behavior as high trust in others’ pro-environmental behavior fosters individuals’ attempts to save energy.

scholarly journals Values, Attitudes and Energy Saving Behaviour in Lithuania

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vidas Vilčinskas
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Theory Of Planned Behaviour ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Save Energy ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Individual behaviour has a significant role to play in reducing the negative impacts of climate change. The energy sector is a significant component impacting climate. Although individual energy saving behaviour can be perceived as something detached from climate change, it is important because of its impact and is therefore the subject of research. The aim of this study is to identify the main factors influencing energy saving behaviour in Lithuania. The Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Theory of Basic Human Values are tested using the European Social Survey Round 8 data. The results show that intention to save energy is the most important factor influencing behaviour. Values are also a strong predictor of energy saving behaviour. Attitudes towards climate change and perceived behavioural control have only a very weak relationship with behaviour.

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