Exist seminar: Trust and the Environment: What It Takes to Believe in the Solutions

People around the world are concerned about climate change and other environmental problems, and want their governments to do something about them. But public support for many policies that experts recommend is low. The reason, I will argue, is predominantly a lack of trust. Drawing on data from a variety of studies, I will show that people with a high level of trust in their country’s political and administrative leaders and systems tend to support the enactment of more climate and environmental policies, but people with low levels of trust tend to be opposed. This includes even potential new institutions for the better representation of future generations.