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Factors and framing effects in support for net zero policies in the United Kingdom

Wouter Poortinga, Lorraine Whitmarsh, Kat Steentjes Orcid Logo, Emily Gray, Sophie Thompson, Rachel Brisley

Frontiers in Psychology, Volume: 14, Start page: 1287188

Swansea University Author: Kat Steentjes Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1287188

Abstract

Achieving ambitious carbon reduction targets requires transformative change to society, with behaviour change playing an important role. Climate change mitigation (‘net zero’) policies are needed to accelerate and support such behaviour change. This study examined factors and framing effects in publ...

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Published in: Frontiers in Psychology
ISSN: 1664-1078
Published: Frontiers Media SA 2023
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70296
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last_indexed 2025-09-18T07:26:20Z
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spelling 2025-09-17T14:38:06.1381997 v2 70296 2025-09-05 Factors and framing effects in support for net zero policies in the United Kingdom 54f70b9380022eddcd67398acdca418b 0000-0002-8661-8287 Kat Steentjes Kat Steentjes true false 2025-09-05 PSYS Achieving ambitious carbon reduction targets requires transformative change to society, with behaviour change playing an important role. Climate change mitigation (‘net zero’) policies are needed to accelerate and support such behaviour change. This study examined factors and framing effects in public support for net zero policies in the United Kingdom (UK), making use of a large probability sample (ntotal = 5,665) survey conducted in August 2021. It found that net zero policies are widely supported, with only taxes on red meat and dairy products being supported by less than half of the UK public. Climate worry and perceived fairness were the strongest and most consistent predictors of policy support for net zero policies. The results further suggest that support for net zero policies can be increased by emphasising the co-benefits of the policies, in particular where they are beneficial for health. However, the framing effects were very small. In contrast, public support for net zero policies is lower when potential lifestyle and financial costs are mentioned. This suggests that perceived fairness of the distribution of costs and lifestyle implications of policies are crucial for building and maintaining support for net zero. Journal Article Frontiers in Psychology 14 1287188 Frontiers Media SA 1664-1078 net zero, climate change, policy support, framing effects, perceived fairness 15 12 2023 2023-12-15 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1287188 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. The research was conducted as part of the Ipsos-CAST Climate Engagement Partnership. 2025-09-17T14:38:06.1381997 2025-09-05T10:08:08.4369239 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences School of Psychology Wouter Poortinga 1 Lorraine Whitmarsh 2 Kat Steentjes 0000-0002-8661-8287 3 Emily Gray 4 Sophie Thompson 5 Rachel Brisley 6 70296__35108__739fa8d7b46549ee94e84a584c548190.pdf 70296.VOR.pdf 2025-09-17T14:35:12.4476197 Output 1175749 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2023 Poortinga, Whitmarsh, Steentjes, Gray, Thompson and Brisley. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Factors and framing effects in support for net zero policies in the United Kingdom
spellingShingle Factors and framing effects in support for net zero policies in the United Kingdom
Kat Steentjes
title_short Factors and framing effects in support for net zero policies in the United Kingdom
title_full Factors and framing effects in support for net zero policies in the United Kingdom
title_fullStr Factors and framing effects in support for net zero policies in the United Kingdom
title_full_unstemmed Factors and framing effects in support for net zero policies in the United Kingdom
title_sort Factors and framing effects in support for net zero policies in the United Kingdom
author_id_str_mv 54f70b9380022eddcd67398acdca418b
author_id_fullname_str_mv 54f70b9380022eddcd67398acdca418b_***_Kat Steentjes
author Kat Steentjes
author2 Wouter Poortinga
Lorraine Whitmarsh
Kat Steentjes
Emily Gray
Sophie Thompson
Rachel Brisley
format Journal article
container_title Frontiers in Psychology
container_volume 14
container_start_page 1287188
publishDate 2023
institution Swansea University
issn 1664-1078
doi_str_mv 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1287188
publisher Frontiers Media SA
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 Achieving ambitious carbon reduction targets requires transformative change to society, with behaviour change playing an important role. Climate change mitigation (‘net zero’) policies are needed to accelerate and support such behaviour change. This study examined factors and framing effects in public support for net zero policies in the United Kingdom (UK), making use of a large probability sample (ntotal = 5,665) survey conducted in August 2021. It found that net zero policies are widely supported, with only taxes on red meat and dairy products being supported by less than half of the UK public. Climate worry and perceived fairness were the strongest and most consistent predictors of policy support for net zero policies. The results further suggest that support for net zero policies can be increased by emphasising the co-benefits of the policies, in particular where they are beneficial for health. However, the framing effects were very small. In contrast, public support for net zero policies is lower when potential lifestyle and financial costs are mentioned. This suggests that perceived fairness of the distribution of costs and lifestyle implications of policies are crucial for building and maintaining support for net zero.
published_date 2023-12-15T05:30:30Z
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