Norwegians were sceptical on other questions, too. Almost a third said they would never vote for a party with strong environmental policies, compared with a fifth elsewhere. Only one in four said that their country is already being harmed by climate change, compared with more than half of Italians. Norwegians were also the least likely to agree that climate change is already harming them personally.
The report demonstrates the divide between countries that have seen faster change in their climate and those where people feel largely unaffected by it. “One of the most powerful drivers of concern and support for action is actually seeing the effects,” says Bobby Duffy of KCL. Europe’s hot summer is unpleasant. But it could also increase support for policies to reduce the risk of future ones. ■
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