Do climate concerns and worries predict energy preferences? A meta-analysis

Abstract

Public perceptions of energy choices will play a major role in the energy transition. Climate-related emotions, particularly concerns and worries, influence these perceptions, as they signal a heightened awareness of climate risks and greater personal salience of climate change. Here we conduct a series of meta-analyses to estimate whether climate worries and concerns influence energy preferences (k = 233; N = 85,285; 36 countries). Our findings reveal that climate worries and concerns translate into support for renewable energy, particularly solar and wind, and modest opposition to fossil fuels, particularly coal and gas. Climate worries and concerns are not associated with nuclear energy, albeit with a high degree of variance. Socio-demographic moderators, such as gender, education, and political orientation, did not influence these associations, while age and national energy supply attenuated these associations. These results suggest that climate concerns and worries translate into support for renewable energy, but not equal opposition to fossil fuels. More broadly, this meta-analysis underscores the role of climate-related emotions in shaping energy preferences, providing insights into the influence factors of energy policy support, the psychology of climate change, and climate change communication.