City and countryside in the climate crisis
In debates on the climate crisis and the energy transition, a picture is often painted of major differences in attitudes between people living in urban and rural areas. But is this really true?
Based on representative survey data, this study analyses how people in different residential environments think about climate and energy policy issues. It shows that there are generally only nuanced differences between them in views on the importance of the climate crisis and the preference for certain measures. However, the profiles of people who share certain views across residential environments differ, sometimes significantly. This is especially true for supporters of different parties. The analysis clearly shows that a target group-oriented approach to climate and energy policy is promising when personal characteristics of people and their residential environment are considered together.