Taking the temperature on climate change and on just transition policies: Public sentiment in OECD countries

Herwig Immervoll

No 335, OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers from OECD Publishing

Abstract: International data on public sentiments show that a green transition cannot advance on environmental grounds alone; it must also address economic security and distribute transition costs fairly. This paper reviews national and international studies, presents new results across population groups in OECD countries, and discusses implications for designing and communicating reforms, including accompanying measures to cushion transition costs. On average across 27 OECD countries, over two thirds of respondents express climate concern, with notable upward trends in recent decades and a recent plateauing or softening. Sentiments differ across groups: women are more worried about climate change, and workers in emission-intensive industries sometimes less so. Yet patterns are more complex than stereotypes suggest; for example, older adults are often as concerned as younger ones. Crucially, explicit support for further climate action lags behind abstract climate concern. There is no evidence of systematic pushback against ambitious climate policies, but opinion data underscore the importance of demonstrating policy effectiveness and sharing adjustment burdens equitably. Financially vulnerable households and workers in high-emission sectors are more worried about negative knock-on effects of climate policies. Inclusive policy design, with transparent compensation, can address these economic vulnerabilities and associated concerns about climate action.

Keywords: Climate attitudes; Climate policy; Distributional effects; Just transition; Policy acceptance; Public opinion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C83 D63 D83 Q54 Q58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-08-31
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oec:elsaab:335-en

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