Surveying Climate-Relevant Behavior: Measurements, Obstacles, and Implications

This open access book discusses the contribution of sociology and survey research to climate research. The authors address the questions of which behaviors are of climate relevance, who is engaging in these behaviors, in which contexts do these behaviors occur, and which individual perceptions and values are related to them. Utilizing survey research, the book focuses on the measurement of climate-relevant behaviors with population surveys and develops an instrument that allows a valid estimate of an individual’s GHG emissions with a few core items. While the development of these instruments was based on surveys and qualitative interviews conducted in Austria, the instruments were subsequently tested in a set of 31 European countries, revealing the international relevance of such research. The book also concludes with a brief consideration of the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on environmental attitudes, situating the project globally.

Markus Hadler is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Graz, Austria, and an Honorary Professor, Department of Sociology, Macquarie University, Australia. He is the Austrian representative to the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) and editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Sociology.

Beate Klösch is a Research Associate, Department of Sociology, University of Graz, Austria, and is working on questions of environmental and political sociology and pursuing a doctorate in sociology.

Stephan Schwarzinger completed his doctorate at the Department of Sociology, University of Graz, Austria, in 2020.

Markus Schweighart is a doctoral student at the Department of Sociology, University of Graz, Austria, and is working on the topic of climate-relevant behavior.

Rebecca Wardana is a Research Associate, Department of Sociology, University of Graz, Austria. She is part of the core research team of the OeNB project #17892 on measuring GHG relevant behaviors and is pursuing a doctorate in sociology.

David Neil Bird is a Senior Researcher at LIFE – Institute for Climate, Energy and Society, JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH., Austria.