Experimental Evidence on How Different Frames of the Energy Transition Influence Readiness to Adopt in Lifestyle Changes and Political Participation Submitted
Authors:
Felipe G. Santos, Matthias Hoffmann, Dan Mercea
Using a vignette experiment embedded in a nationally representative survey of the Romanian
population, we test how different ways of framing the energy transition influence people’s
readiness to adopt more sustainable lifestyle changes as well as engaging in electoral and non- electoral political participation to advance the adoption of renewable energies. In this experiment, we create six vignettes: one emphasizing the economic benefits of the energy transition, another highlighting the economic loss of failing to adopt renewable energies, and another presenting the energy transition as a trade-off that requires an initial investment of money to obtain future economic savings.
Moreover, another three treatments reproduce these three vignettes, adding an emphasis on the importance of political participation to achieve these changes. We test how these six different frames influence Romanians’ support of the energy transition as well as their readiness to engage in lifestyle changes, vote and participate in protests to support the adoption of renewable energies.
With this paper, we contribute to ongoing debates on the determinants of support for climate justice policies, as well as strategies to foster the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies.
Conferences where the paper will be presented:
1. European Sociological Association (ESA) Conference, Porto, 27-30 August