Pollution of air, soil, and water is among the most pressing environmental challenges today and a central facet of the triple planetary crisis (UNEP, 2020). Managing this challenge is intricately linked to the human factor, as environmental pollution stems from human activities but can also be mitigated through individual and collective action.
In the present study, we examine the role of two worldviews in predicting risk perception and support for environmental policies: systems thinking and techno-optimism. Systems thinking reflects the perspective that environmental problems cannot be addressed in isolation but must be understood within broader social, economic, and ecological systems (Davis & Stroink, 2016). Since pollutants typically circulate through production, consumption, recycling, and accumulation, they have been described as systemic challenges, suggesting that individuals high in systems thinking may be more concerned and supportive of pro-environmental policies. In contrast, techno-optimism (Gardezi & Arbuckle, 2020) may be associated with less support for pro-environmental policies, as individuals who expect future technological fixes, even when concerned, may be less supportive of collective action.
Within the SOS-ZEROPOL2030 project, we conducted a cross-national survey on risk perceptions of different environmental pollutants (microplastics, PFAS, nutrients, eutrophication, underwater noise) in five European countries (N = 5,206) in 2024. Multilevel regression analyses showed risk perception across different pollutants to be high across European countries and strongly predicted by negative emotions, biospheric values, and pro-environmental norms, while being positively associated with both systems thinking and techno-optimism.
Next, we will use multilevel moderation analysis (pending preregistration) to test how systems thinking and techno-optimism moderate the relationship between pollution risk perception and policy support, accounting for country-level variation. This study provides novel, large-scale evidence advancing our understanding of the interplay between citizens' risk perception, support for collective action (e.g., environmental policies), and different worldviews relevant to the environmental challenges we face.