Big Dilemmas, Little Time: Intergenerational Climate Justice and Public Support for Deep Decarbonisation

Achieving deep decarbonisation to avoid exceeding the 2°C warming threshold remains challenging due to limited public support, largely driven by immediate economic concerns. This study investigates how the awareness of intergenerational climate justice – the unequal distribution of climate-related costs between current and future generations – affects public support for costly decarbonisation policies. A cross-national survey experiment (n = 22,370) across 10 advanced economies reveals that explicitly highlighting disproportionate climate impacts on younger generations significantly increases individuals’ willingness to accept near-term economic sacrifices for future climate benefits. Additional exploratory analysis shows that the treatment’s effect increases non-linearly at higher levels of income. These findings underline critical temporal biases in public opinion and suggest that emphasizing fairness in sharing climate burdens between generations could effectively enhance public acceptance of economically challenging climate policies. Highlighting intergenerational justice thus presents a viable strategy for policymakers seeking stronger public backing for sustainable climate actions.