Climate change: Information, beliefs and action. Can new information affect Swedes’ climate change mitigation efforts?

Abstract: Due to the steep requirements of the 1.5°C goal, there is an urgent need to better understand what measures can be used to strengthen climate mitigation efforts. This study illuminates which factors drive climate mitigation efforts in the Swedish public and how such efforts are affected by new information. Using data gathered in an online survey experiment (n=372), this study finds that a wide range of factors predict Swedes’ climate mitigation efforts, measured as climate policy support and self estimated “willingness to sacrifice more for the climate”. Beliefs about Sweden’s current emissions and social norms positively predict climate mitigation efforts along with other beliefs such as altruism and universalism. Mainly, it finds that the impact of correcting misperceptions with information about either Sweden’s emissions or social norms, is both varied and limited. Information about Sweden’s emissions has a negative impact on climate policy support. The negative effect is not fully explained by perceiving the information as lacking in credibility. Information about social norms has no significant impact on policy support but a positive impact on willingness to sacrifice more.