2148 - ENHANCING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE FUNDING

Session: D04S024 - Policy & Governance 3
AUTHORS:
Bosshard Anna (University of Amsterdam ~ Amsterdam ~ Netherlands) , Sabherwal Anandita (Princeton University ~ Princeton ~ United States of America)
Abstract text:
Countries in the Global South have contributed the least to global carbon emissions yet face the most severe consequences of climate change. Despite the critical need for large-scale, grant-based funding from wealthy countries, current institutional funding is insufficient and often comes as loans, exacerbating financial debt. Because citizens are critical agents of change in policy making, this study investigates how to enhance public support for international climate funding. We employ a choice-based conjoint survey experiment among a representative sample of 1030 Dutch residents. This method allows us to systematically assess the impact of three policy attributes on policy support for global climate funding. The attributes were: funding goals (mitigation vs. adaptation vs. loss and damage), funding sources (wealth tax vs. fossil fuel tax vs. existing national budget), and funding recipients (important trade partners vs. former colonies vs. countries most vulnerable to climate impacts). We conducted ordinary least squares regression analyses to assess average component marginal effects (ACMEs) of each policy attribute on support. Mitigation and adaptation payments increased support relative to loss and damage compensation and participants favored funding to the most vulnerable countries. Moreover, wealth and fossil fuel taxation increased support, but only wealth taxation was popular across political ideologies. Understanding these dynamics provides insights for communication and policymaking strategies to increase public support for global climate funding.