Actions and intentions to pay for climate change mitigation: Environmental concern and the role of economic factors

- Actions related to climate change mitigation and intentions to pay are analyzed.
- The effects of individual climate change concerns are empirically examined.
- The role of economic factors that serve as moderating effects is studied.
- Results suggest a moderating influence on the link between concerns and actions.
- Results also point to the relevance of a country's state of economic development.

This study empirically investigates the relationship between an individual's concern about climate change and one's actions reducing the effects of climate change and intentions to pay for mitigating such effects. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of economic factors that may serve as a contextual factor influencing these relationships. Based on data from the Life in Transition Survey covering individuals from 35 countries in 2010, this study uses information regarding the financial crisis of 2008 to inform about economic factors. The results suggest that respondents exhibiting higher climate change concerns are not only more likely to intend to pay for mitigating the effects of climate change, but they are also more likely to take actions in order to minimize such effects. The results also indicate that economic factors only have a moderating effect on the relationship between higher climate change concerns and actions. Furthermore, the results also point to the relevance of a country's state of economic development.