The effect of policy norms on public acceptance of pro-environmental policy measures

There is a substantial body of research investigating and mapping the factors influencing citizens’ attitudes toward climate policy instruments. Based on reviews and meta-analyses we also have a quite clear idea about the role of various determinants. Despite this extensive examination, there remains considerable variation in policy attitudes that demands further exploration, not the least of contextual factors, which have been relatively understudied.
In parallel fields, such as individual environmental behavior—for example recycling or waste sorting—scholars have long emphasized the pivotal role of social norms in shaping and guiding actions. Building upon this finding, our study introduces the novel concept of policy norms, which encapsulate individuals’ perceptions of the prevailing social norms toward various pro-environmental policy measures, such as taxes on fossil fuels, as well as policies targeting climate related behaviors, such as food consumption.
Our investigation uses unique survey data collected from six countries—the United States, Brazil, Germany, Sweden, South Africa, and India—comprising 12,000 respondents. We find that policy norms are strongly associated with individuals’ inclinations toward accepting or rejecting a wide range policy measures. Importantly, this influence persists even after accounting for established determinants such as ideology, political trust, environmental concern, and personal norms.
In the future, we plan to conduct experimental studies to better understand and confirm the reasons behind the effects we have observed. We want to explore how social norms and policy acceptance interact in more detail, aiming to offer valuable insights that can improve climate policies worldwide.