Year: 2018
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Responding to climate change is the greatest challenge facing humanity today (IPCC2014). Climate change poses risks for human and natural systems via processes suchas water scarcity, land degradation, habitat and biodiversity loss, and extreme weatherevents. In Southern France, climate change has been directly linked to recent floodingand is projected to increase the future frequency of storms and heatwaves (Beniston etal. 2007). Understanding how citizens perceive and psychologically adapt to climatechange is of great importance to developing a coherent and effective strategy to reducecarbon emissions and greater climate resilience.This national survey represents the most comprehensive survey of national climatechange attitudes in France to date. It presents and discusses national survey findingsfrom a collaborative and cross-national research project undertaken by the UniversitéCôte d'Azur and Griffith University (Australia) examining public risk perceptions,understanding and responses to the threat and unfolding impacts of climate change inFrance. The national survey was undertaken between June 5th and July 17th, 2017 andinvolved a representative, geographically and demographically stratified nationalsample of 3480 respondents across France.The results provide an up-to-date and comprehensive profile of current Frenchattitudes and beliefs about climate change, their concerns about the impact it may haveon their economic well-being, health and natural surroundings, and the ways in whichthey are responding psychologically and behaviorally to this threat. This report alsouncovers how economic conditions and natural weather events impact the evolution ofclimate change perceptions and attitudes. These results highlight that the design ofpublic communication strategies in relation to climate change adaptation should takeinto account the nature of these public perceptions of climate change.
Institution: SKEMA Business School
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2930983314