Consumer Support for Climate Policies Driven by Political Ideologies

Abstract

Consumer support for climate policies is essential for new sustainable consumption patterns, which may face challenges considering the left-right political spectrum. This study aims to understand how different types of climate policies receive different levels of support from Liberals (Left), Moderates (Center), and Conservatives (Right). We analyzed data from an online panel with 1000 Brazilians through linear (ANOVA, MANOVA, and Correspondence Analysis) and non-linear predictive (Artificial Neural Networks) methods. Although Liberals are more concerned about overall global warming and climate change than Conservatives, both groups are more prone to support than to oppose climate change public policies. Moreover, while Moderates and Conservatives are getting more concerned about climate change, Liberals are becoming more pessimistic about mitigation strategies. Policies based on opportunity-facilitating or constraining using regulatory or economic instruments are associated differently with Liberals, Moderates, and Conservatives, indicating specific preferences for each political ideology.