How do European citizens prioritize environment and climate issues? The role of the value “Respect for the planet” in combination with education and cultural background

This study investigates whether citizens’ support of environment and climate policies can be stimulated by targeting their relationship to Planet Earth, using “Respect for the planet” as a political value. The study is based on seven Eurobarometer surveys across the period 2019 to 2024, supplemented by country-level data. Endorsing the value Respect for the planet was associated with a higher priority given to environment and climate issues and this association was stronger in combination with an advanced education and a country’s cultural context that values individuals' autonomy (versus their embeddedness in social networks). These results were relatively independent of the variable left-right political placement, which was added for comparison. Hence, Respect for the planet has the potential to become a core political value that, in combination with advanced education and appropriate cultural conditions, can support the pursuit of environment and climate objectives, such as the legitimation of policy changes.