Climate Policy Attitudes and Pro-Environmental Behaviour: The Role of Intergenerational Relationships

This interdisciplinary research project explores individual attitudes towards climate policy and pro-environmental behaviour across age, gender and education in a cross-country comparative perspective. Drawing on insights from Political Science, Social Demography, and Gerontology, the planned project investigates the role of family ties and intergenerational relationships in moderating the socio-ecological transformation related to climate change.

To do so, a novel cross-national survey will be conducted in three European countries characterised by different family roles, policy contexts and climate conditions (Austria, Italy and Sweden). The quantitative analyses on these data will be combined with investigations of existing international survey data (SHARE and SOEP).

The research aims to shed light on the mechanisms through which (grand)children may influence climate-related attitudes and pro-environmental behaviour of their (grand)parents and vice versa. Furthermore, the impact of temporal discounting and present bias on support for climate policies and pro-environmental behaviour will be investigated.

The results will generate scientific insights into the dynamics of socio-ecological change and provide evidence-based recommendations for policymakers seeking to address climate change in ageing societies. Through rigorous data collection, analysis, and dissemination activities, the project contributes to both academic scholarship and policy discussions surrounding climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts as well as aiming at reducing intergenerational conflict.