Climate Change: What Are the Implications of Worldview, Political Orientation, Values on Climate Belief and Engagement in the French Context?

Abstract

To what extent do our worldviews, political and religious beliefs and our values influence the way we perceive the climate emergency and the commitment to combat it in France? Through this question we pursue two clear objectives: firstly, to study the social dimensions of climate change and secondly to shed light on the vectors of engagement in the fight against climate change. Based on a perception survey we conducted in the Hauts-de-France region in 2017, we highlight how an approach that takes into account worldview, values and beliefs help us to understand the different attitudes towards CC perception and the fight against it. We show that the opposition between those who are convinced and those who are skeptical about CC refers to ideological differences that are deeply-rooted in the right-left political divide, but also in different beliefs and values. In addition, among the main vectors of climate engagement, our analyses highlight the importance of a worldview based on the finiteness of natural resources, values related to associative engagement and trust.