Climate change attitudes and the world’s biggest CO2 emitters

Abstract

This study analyses how public attitudes toward climate actions have changed over time in some of the biggest CO₂-emitter countries representing two categories of economies: the rich and developed vs. emerging. Using the World Value Survey data and two-sample tests of proportions, an exploratory analysis is conducted to understand the change in climate change attitudes in China, the United States, India, Russia, Japan, Germany, and South Korea over the last three decades. The study finds initial evidence of divergence in public opinion for climate actions across countries. The findings show that people in emerging economies (such as China and India) have cultivated more favorable views toward environmental protection and climate actions over time. They have started demanding better environmental policies and shown willingness to contribute to environmental protection both monetarily and symbolically. However, people in the developed and rich world are gradually moving towards less favorable climate opinions. Such startling changes in public attitude have the potential to impact future national and global treaties on climate change disparagingly.