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from Environmental Politics

Fossil Fuel Divestment and Public Climate Change Policy Preferences: An Experimental Test in Three Countries

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Students at left watch as student activists take positions in the Cathedral of Learning
Students at left watch as student activists take positions in the Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh campus to urge the school's board of trustees to divest from fossil fuels, Feb. 21, 2020, in Pittsburgh.

Abstract

Divestment is a prominent strategy championed by activists to induce positive social change. For example, the current fossil fuel divestment movement includes over 1,500 institutions that control $40 trillion in assets. A primary pathway through which divestment is theorized to be effective is by influencing public beliefs and policy preferences, thus pressuring policymakers to take action. However, prior research only tests this argument via qualitative case studies. We assess the impact of exposure to information about fossil fuel divestment on public opinion through the use of national survey experiments in three major greenhouse gas emitters: the U.S., India, and South Africa. We find surprisingly little evidence that exposure to information about the fossil fuel divestment movement can increase public support for policies that address climate change. Our findings suggest that divestment movements may be less effective at changing beliefs and policy preferences than previously realized.

Recommended citation

Schwartz, Joshua A, Paul Lendway and Abolfazl Nuri. "Fossil Fuel Divestment and Public Climate Change Policy Preferences: An Experimental Test in Three Countries." Environmental Politics, (2023).

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