No Cover Image

Journal article 311 views 199 downloads

Generational differences in climate-related beliefs, risk perceptions and emotions in the UK

Wouter Poortinga Orcid Logo, Christina Demski Orcid Logo, Kat Steentjes Orcid Logo

Communications Earth & Environment, Volume: 4, Start page: 229

Swansea University Author: Kat Steentjes Orcid Logo

  • 70294.VOR.pdf

    PDF | Version of Record

    © The Author(s) 2023. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

    Download (497.64KB)

Check full text

DOI (Published version): 10.1038/s43247-023-00870-x

Abstract

It is widely believed that younger generations are more engaged with climate change than older generations. However, evidence of a gap in climate-related perceptions and concern is mixed, likely due to the inconsistent use of outcome variables. Here we systematically examine generational differences...

Full description

Published in: Communications Earth & Environment
ISSN: 2662-4435
Published: Springer Nature 2023
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70294
first_indexed 2025-09-05T16:01:47Z
last_indexed 2025-09-18T07:26:19Z
id cronfa70294
recordtype SURis
fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2025-09-17T14:08:55.3398595</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>70294</id><entry>2025-09-05</entry><title>Generational differences in climate-related beliefs, risk perceptions and emotions in the UK</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>54f70b9380022eddcd67398acdca418b</sid><ORCID>0000-0002-8661-8287</ORCID><firstname>Kat</firstname><surname>Steentjes</surname><name>Kat Steentjes</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2025-09-05</date><deptcode>PSYS</deptcode><abstract>It is widely believed that younger generations are more engaged with climate change than older generations. However, evidence of a gap in climate-related perceptions and concern is mixed, likely due to the inconsistent use of outcome variables. Here we systematically examine generational differences across different types of climate engagement including cognitive and affective dimensions. Using data from three nationally-representative surveys conducted in the UK in 2020, 2021 and 2022, we show there is an overall pattern of higher levels of climate-related beliefs, risks perceptions and emotions among younger generation groups. However, the gap is larger and more consistent for climate-related emotions than for climate-related beliefs. While generational differences in climate-related emotions were found across all years, the overall gap has disappeared due to narrowing climate-related beliefs and risk perceptions. The generational differences are therefore mainly in emotional engagement rather than in beliefs about anthropogenic climate change.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Communications Earth &amp; Environment</journal><volume>4</volume><journalNumber/><paginationStart>229</paginationStart><paginationEnd/><publisher>Springer Nature</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint/><issnElectronic>2662-4435</issnElectronic><keywords/><publishedDay>6</publishedDay><publishedMonth>7</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2023</publishedYear><publishedDate>2023-07-06</publishedDate><doi>10.1038/s43247-023-00870-x</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Psychology School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>PSYS</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>Another institution paid the OA fee</apcterm><funders>We acknowledge support from the Economic &amp; Social Research Council (ESRC) through the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), Grant Ref: ES/S012257/1.</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2025-09-17T14:08:55.3398595</lastEdited><Created>2025-09-05T10:07:13.2035162</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences</level><level id="2">School of Psychology</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Wouter</firstname><surname>Poortinga</surname><orcid>0000-0002-6926-8545</orcid><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Christina</firstname><surname>Demski</surname><orcid>0000-0002-9215-452x</orcid><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Kat</firstname><surname>Steentjes</surname><orcid>0000-0002-8661-8287</orcid><order>3</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>70294__35105__59deff66b55c47488787c408501a3b3a.pdf</filename><originalFilename>70294.VOR.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2025-09-17T14:05:49.4919669</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>509581</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>&#xA9; The Author(s) 2023. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).</documentNotes><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect><language>eng</language><licence>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</licence></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2025-09-17T14:08:55.3398595 v2 70294 2025-09-05 Generational differences in climate-related beliefs, risk perceptions and emotions in the UK 54f70b9380022eddcd67398acdca418b 0000-0002-8661-8287 Kat Steentjes Kat Steentjes true false 2025-09-05 PSYS It is widely believed that younger generations are more engaged with climate change than older generations. However, evidence of a gap in climate-related perceptions and concern is mixed, likely due to the inconsistent use of outcome variables. Here we systematically examine generational differences across different types of climate engagement including cognitive and affective dimensions. Using data from three nationally-representative surveys conducted in the UK in 2020, 2021 and 2022, we show there is an overall pattern of higher levels of climate-related beliefs, risks perceptions and emotions among younger generation groups. However, the gap is larger and more consistent for climate-related emotions than for climate-related beliefs. While generational differences in climate-related emotions were found across all years, the overall gap has disappeared due to narrowing climate-related beliefs and risk perceptions. The generational differences are therefore mainly in emotional engagement rather than in beliefs about anthropogenic climate change. Journal Article Communications Earth & Environment 4 229 Springer Nature 2662-4435 6 7 2023 2023-07-06 10.1038/s43247-023-00870-x COLLEGE NANME Psychology School COLLEGE CODE PSYS Swansea University Another institution paid the OA fee We acknowledge support from the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) through the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), Grant Ref: ES/S012257/1. 2025-09-17T14:08:55.3398595 2025-09-05T10:07:13.2035162 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences School of Psychology Wouter Poortinga 0000-0002-6926-8545 1 Christina Demski 0000-0002-9215-452x 2 Kat Steentjes 0000-0002-8661-8287 3 70294__35105__59deff66b55c47488787c408501a3b3a.pdf 70294.VOR.pdf 2025-09-17T14:05:49.4919669 Output 509581 application/pdf Version of Record true © The Author(s) 2023. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Generational differences in climate-related beliefs, risk perceptions and emotions in the UK
spellingShingle Generational differences in climate-related beliefs, risk perceptions and emotions in the UK
Kat Steentjes
title_short Generational differences in climate-related beliefs, risk perceptions and emotions in the UK
title_full Generational differences in climate-related beliefs, risk perceptions and emotions in the UK
title_fullStr Generational differences in climate-related beliefs, risk perceptions and emotions in the UK
title_full_unstemmed Generational differences in climate-related beliefs, risk perceptions and emotions in the UK
title_sort Generational differences in climate-related beliefs, risk perceptions and emotions in the UK
author_id_str_mv 54f70b9380022eddcd67398acdca418b
author_id_fullname_str_mv 54f70b9380022eddcd67398acdca418b_***_Kat Steentjes
author Kat Steentjes
author2 Wouter Poortinga
Christina Demski
Kat Steentjes
format Journal article
container_title Communications Earth & Environment
container_volume 4
container_start_page 229
publishDate 2023
institution Swansea University
issn 2662-4435
doi_str_mv 10.1038/s43247-023-00870-x
publisher Springer Nature
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str School of Psychology{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Psychology
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description It is widely believed that younger generations are more engaged with climate change than older generations. However, evidence of a gap in climate-related perceptions and concern is mixed, likely due to the inconsistent use of outcome variables. Here we systematically examine generational differences across different types of climate engagement including cognitive and affective dimensions. Using data from three nationally-representative surveys conducted in the UK in 2020, 2021 and 2022, we show there is an overall pattern of higher levels of climate-related beliefs, risks perceptions and emotions among younger generation groups. However, the gap is larger and more consistent for climate-related emotions than for climate-related beliefs. While generational differences in climate-related emotions were found across all years, the overall gap has disappeared due to narrowing climate-related beliefs and risk perceptions. The generational differences are therefore mainly in emotional engagement rather than in beliefs about anthropogenic climate change.
published_date 2023-07-06T05:30:30Z
_version_ 1851098010991198208
score 11.089386

Similar Items