Public views on economic growth,the environment and prosperity: Results of a questionnaire survey |
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| Institution: | 1. Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Edifici Z, UAB Campus, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;2. ICREA, Barcelona, Spain;3. Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Edifici Z, UAB Campus 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;1. Department of Natural Resources, 111 Fernow Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA;2. Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;3. Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, 407 Warren Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA;4. School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China;1. Department of Ecology and Natural Resources Management, Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Walter-Flex 3, Bonn 53113, Germany;2. World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), JL. Situ Gede, Bogor, Indonesia;1. Environmental Policy Group, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University & Research Centre, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands;2. Center for International Forestry Research, P.O. Box 0113 BOCBD, Bogor 16000, Indonesia;3. University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment, Sustainability Research Institute, Leeds LS 29JT, United Kingdom;1. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Sciences, United Kingdom;2. School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom;3. Collingwood Environmental Planning, 50 Westminster Bridge Road, London, UK;4. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Surrey, Stag Hill, University Campus, Guildford, UK;5. Green Investment Group, Edinburgh, UK;1. University of Bonn, Germany;2. Socialhögskolan and Pufendorf Institute for Advanced Research, Lund University, Sweden;1. Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ), Universitätstrasse 22, CHN J72.1, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland;2. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Schlossplatz 1, 2361 Laxenburg, Austria |
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| Abstract: | The long-standing academic and public debate on economic growth, prosperity and environmental sustainability has recently gained new momentum. It lacks, however, a broad perspective on public opinion. Prior opinion surveys typically offered a simple dichotomous choice between growth and environmental protection. This study examines public beliefs and attitudes about a wider range of aspects of the growth debate. To this end, we conducted an online questionnaire survey including a country-wide, representative sample of 1008 Spanish citizens. Using factor analysis, we identify six distinct dimensions of public attitudes, referred to as: prosperity with growth; environmental limits to growth; general optimism; wrong priority; overrated GDP; and governmental control. We further analyze several specific questions associated with the growth debate, such as those concerning the desired GDP growth rate, the preferred growth-environment position, and beliefs about, as well as reasons for, a possible end or continuation of growth. We find that most respondents favor GDP growth rates of more than 3%. A majority views growth and environmental sustainability as compatible (green growth), while about one-third prefers either ignoring growth as a policy aim (agrowth), or stopping it altogether (degrowth). Only very few people want growth unconditionally (growth-at-all-costs). About one-third of the respondents believe that growth may be never-ending. We examine how support for or disagreement with different statements on growth are related to each other, as well as how they are influenced by socio-demographic, knowledge and ideology/values variables. Overall, our findings can inform public debates about the growth paradigm and its potential alternatives by providing a more nuanced understanding of public opinion. We make suggestions for future research, including modifying poll questions on growth and environment through offering a more diverse set of response options. |
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| Keywords: | Economic growth Environmental sustainability Public opinion Limits to growth Growth debate Climate change |
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