Exploring the variances of climate change opinions in Germany at a fine-grained local scale

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Lars Mewes
  • Leonie Tuitjer
  • Peter Dirksmeier

External Research Organisations

  • University of Bremen
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number1867
Number of pages14
JournalNature Communications
Volume15
Publication statusPublished - 29 Feb 2024

Abstract

How and why climate change opinions vary within countries at a small geographic scale is rarely investigated. Previous research has focused on public opinions at the individual or national level, leaving local differences within countries and their underlying factors largely unexplored. The lack of research at subnational levels is problematic, as adaptation and mitigation policies depend on collective support and action involving multiple stakeholders at the local scale. It is thus crucial to identify geographic differences in climate change opinions and to unravel their determinants at a fine-grained local scale. We examine public CCOs across 4,667 municipalities in Germany by relying on a representative survey of households. Here we show substantial and systematic differences in public climate change opinions across locations that manifest between urban vs. rural and prospering vs. declining areas. Besides these geographic features, more complex historical and cultural differences between places play an important role.

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Exploring the variances of climate change opinions in Germany at a fine-grained local scale. / Mewes, Lars; Tuitjer, Leonie; Dirksmeier, Peter.
In: Nature Communications, Vol. 15, 1867, 29.02.2024.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Mewes L, Tuitjer L, Dirksmeier P. Exploring the variances of climate change opinions in Germany at a fine-grained local scale. Nature Communications. 2024 Feb 29;15:1867. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45930-8
Mewes, Lars ; Tuitjer, Leonie ; Dirksmeier, Peter. / Exploring the variances of climate change opinions in Germany at a fine-grained local scale. In: Nature Communications. 2024 ; Vol. 15.
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