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Environmental Institutional Determinants of Climate Behavior Among Taiwan’s Public Officials

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study investigates how climate change literacy (CCL) and institutional contexts shape the climate-related behaviors of Taiwan’s public officials. Drawing on a 2024 national survey of 1,940 civil servants, we apply hierarchical and comparative regression analyses to examine the relative influence of knowledge, affective dispositions, and organizational supports. Results show that solution-oriented knowledge exerts greater behavioral influence than factual awareness. At the same time, affective resources—particularly self-efficacy and environmental identity—are the strongest and most consistent drivers of engagement. Institutional factors further condition these relationships: central officials’ behaviors are shaped by departmental mandates and bureaucratic constraints, whereas local officials rely more on supervisor support and prior project involvement. These findings integrate literacy research with institutional perspectives, demonstrating that effective climate governance requires both individual agency and enabling organizational contexts. Policy implications include strengthening leadership training, creating experiential learning opportunities, and streamlining administrative structures across governance levels to accelerate climate action.

Source: Climate

DOI: 10.3390/cli13110219

Authors: Chyi Liang, Shin-Cheng Yeh, Pei-Hsuan Lin, Homer C. Wu, Shiang-Yao Liu

Institutions: National Taiwan Normal University, National Taichung University of Education

Language: English

Topic: Climate Change Communication and Perception

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,172