New research suggests that people’s preferences aren’t driven by self-interest or even politics; rather they’re driven by perceived effectiveness
By Sarah DeWeerdt, Anthropocene, November 16, 2021
People prefer climate policies that use incentives rather than disincentives – but are more tolerant of disincentives that target businesses rather than individuals, new research suggests.
The finding comes from a series of studies that dig into public opinion about whom climate policies should target, what changes those policies should aim for, and how such policies should exert their influence.
Knowing what kind of climate policies people will support and why is important because, well, without public support climate policies can’t actually be implemented. After all, communities where climate concern is high have voted down climate policies endorsed by experts in the past.
Yet few studies have taken a systematic look at how people mentally balance the benefits and harms of different policies, and why people support some climate policies and not others.