Europeans’ climate consciousness: Increased yet more politicised

As climate change has become more important to voters and political parties over the last decade in Europe, this paper asks whether public opinion on the issue has become more politicised, in the sense of being more closely linked to either party support or left-right identity. We consider change from Wave 8 (2016-17) to Wave 10 (2020-22) of the European Social Survey (ESS). Climate consciousness increased overall, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. Politicisation of climate change increased mostly in Western Europe, where it increased more on the left, and for left-wing party voters, than on the right. Populist-Right parties were distinctive in the relative stability of climate consciousness among their voters. Our results show increased politicisation of climate change attitudes within Western European countries, but also convergence between polities of the East and West at higher levels of climate consciousness, which may affect EU climate policy making.