IMF Working Papers

Impact of COVID-19 on Attitudes to Climate Change and Support for Climate Policies

By Adil Mohommad, Evgenia Pugacheva

February 4, 2022

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Adil Mohommad, and Evgenia Pugacheva. Impact of COVID-19 on Attitudes to Climate Change and Support for Climate Policies, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2022) accessed November 21, 2024

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Summary

This paper inquires into how individual attitudes to climate issues and support for climate policies have evolved in the context of the pandemic. Using data from a unique survey of 14,500 individuals across 16 major economies, this study shows that the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic increased concern for climate change and public support for green recovery policies. This suggests that the global health crisis has opened up more space for policy makers in key large economies to implement bolder climate policies. The study also finds that support for climate policies decreases when a person has experienced income and/or job loss during the pandemic. Protecting incomes and livelihoods in the near-term is thus important also from a climate policy perspective.

Subject: Climate change, Climate policy, COVID-19, Environment, Health

Keywords: Climate change, Climate issue, Climate mitigation policy, Climate policies decrease, Climate policy, Climate policy, Climate policy perspective, COVID-19, Global, Health shock, Public opinion

Publication Details

  • Pages:

    22

  • Volume:

    ---

  • DOI:

    ---

  • Issue:

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  • Series:

    Working Paper No. 2022/023

  • Stock No:

    WPIEA2022023

  • ISBN:

    9798400200021

  • ISSN:

    1018-5941