New research into attitudes about climate change show there is no evidence of an urban-rural divide, but that the concerns felt in one setting are often underestimated by those in the other.
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) survey shows there is a general willingness to act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The study analyses responses from 467 farmers and 1,200 ‘non-farmers’, to measure concern about climate change and the steps people were willing to take to counter it.
Respondents were also asked how they perceived the views of others.
The research found rural and urban residents do not differ in how much they worry about climate change and that they share a willingness to change their behaviour.
But there are differences when it comes to perception of the views of others.
Non-farmers underestimate the level of worry and willingness to act among those in the agriculture sector, and all groups underestimate the general public’s worry and readiness to change behaviours.
These perceptions are referred to as “pluralistic ignorance”, the term used when people collectively underestimate the majority view.
The lead author of the report, Dr Lucie Martin, said such misperceptions could undermine a collective effort to deal with the climate crisis, as “most people decide whether to act based on whether they think others will, too”.
Head of the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit, Professor Pete Lunn, said climate action was different for different people.
“Farmers can adopt greener technologies, urban residents can reduce car use, all of us can eat more sustainable and healthier diets … but damaging misperceptions can arise if people do not see other people acting as part of the same climate effort.”
The research also refers to the effects of “false consensus”, when people overestimate how common their own view is.
The study found that the more that people were worried and willing to act, the more they thought other people were – and vice versa.
The report says this suggests that individual biases may be even more important than collective misperceptions.
It says the findings highlight the need for better communication, to emphasise that positive attitudes to climate action are the norm, in an effort to galvanise the entire population to act collectively.