Citizens' Climate Responsibility and Human Values in the European Union

Abstract

[Abstract] Using data from the European Social Survey for 17 countries in the European Union, we estimate models to predict personal responsibility to fight climate change and willingness to pay taxes on fossil fuels. This is the first study to research personal and fiscal responsibility simultaneously. It is also the first to use the details of all of Schwartz’s basic human values to analyse pro-environmental behaviour. The study’s main conclusions are the following. Firstly, human values in the self-protection dimension (Conservation and Self-Enhancement) tend to reduce responsibility, whereas values in the growth dimension (Self-Transcendence and Openness to Change) tend to increase it. Secondly, among Self Enhancement values, Power has a negative effect, but Achievement tends to have a positive effect. Thirdly, among Self-Transcendence values, biospheric and other universalist values have a positive effect, but Benevolence reduces support for green taxes. Fourthly, Hedonism has negative effects on values of Openness to Change but Stimulation positive ones. Fifthly, the findings for control variables show that age is the most important individual factor explaining personal and fiscal responsibility, followed by political variables (left-right orientation, interest in politics, trust in politicians) and income. These results can help to design communication policies related to the European Green Deal.