Work

Carbon dioxide removal through ecosystem restoration: Public perceptions and political participation

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: uptake in Germany, through focus groups and a general population survey. Among focus group participants forests were highly popular, peatlands evoked negative associations, and seagrass was largely unknown. Nevertheless, the restoration of all ecosystems was viewed positively. We contrast these reactions to those of survey respondents who had not received additional information on restoration. They voiced narrower, less diverse opinions centering around afforestation. Further, focus group participants preferred expert-led restoration decisions, citing low trust in politicians' technical competence. Contrary to common policy recommendations, also beyond the German context, participants did not emphasize the need of citizen participation and were not strongly concerned about land use conflicts or compensation of affected user groups. The results imply that the public underestimates the political complexity of negotiation processes in ecosystem governance, which are becoming increasingly relevant in the international policy landscape.

Source: AMBIO

DOI: 10.1007/s13280-024-02063-y

Authors: Annegret Kuhn, Christine Merk, Andrea Wunsch

Institutions: Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel Institute for the World Economy

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Philosophy and Ethics

Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Climate action

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,290