Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.17234/SocEkol.33.3.5
Perception of risks from climate change among Croatian citizens
Josip Ježovita
orcid.org/0000-0003-0165-798X
; Catholic University of Croatia
*
Ivana Vrselja
orcid.org/0000-0002-7740-7023
; Catholic University of Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Th e research aimed to examine how people perceive the negative consequences of climate change over three
time periods (25 years ago, today, and in 25 years), and to investigate whether there is a relationship
between certain socio-demographic characteristics, political orientation, and religiosity, and the perception
of risk due to climate change. Data were collected via the internet from March to June 2023, on a quota
sample of 1,075 participants (51.9% women), aged between 18 and 79 years. Participants reported on their
socio-demographic characteristics and how much they perceive the risk of climate change, as well as their
political orientation and religiosity. Descriptive analysis showed that the participants estimate that the risk
of negative consequences from climate change in the future is greater compared to this risk in the present, as
well as that they estimate that this risk was the lowest in the past. On average, the participants estimated
the risk of negative impacts from climate change in the present above the value that is the middle of the risk
assessment scale. Also, the participants estimated on average that the risk of negative impacts from climate
change in the future is above the value that is the middle of the risk assessment scale, but this average value
was higher than the average value of the participant’s assessment of the negative impacts of climate change
in the present. Th e multiple linear regression analysis showed that the gender and political orientation of
the participants signifi cantly predicted the risk perception of climate change, i.e. women and people with
a left-wing political orientation experience the eff ects of climate change as very risky. Th is research deepens
the understanding of the perception of risk from climate change in a sample of Croatian participants and
provides guidelines for future research on the perception of risk from climate change.
Keywords
climate change, gender, political orientation, religiosity, risk perception
Hrčak ID:
324958
URI
Publication date:
23.12.2024.
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