The perception and knowledge of climate change and values of ETH members : project report of the ETH-wide online survey about Climate Change within the framework of the CCES project ClimPol

The aim of the current study is to analyse the perception of Climate Change as well as to explain the intentions to behave climate-friendly. Therefore, three different theoretical approaches were chosen as theoretical basis for the study. One of the approaches is the risk perception of Climate Change with which it is possible to determine if Climate Change is perceived as high or as low risk. To assure the comparability with existing study results the studies of Leiserowitz (2005, 2006) were taken as a reference. As a further theoretical approach the Cultural Theory of Wildawsky & Dake (1990) was used to analyse the impact of value types. According to this theory people can be divided into four value types, the Individualists, the Egalitarian, the Fatalists, and the Hierarchical. Depending on the predominant value types the risk of an event, for instance Climate Change, is perceived as high or as low. In addition, the Theory of Planned Behavior developed by Ajzen (1985) was used to explain the intention to behave climate-friendly