Urban residents' perception and behaviour of climate change in Tianjin, China

Abstract

Engaging the public in climate action is necessary to support China's goal to achieve its ambitious carbon reduction commitment to address the climate crisis. By conducting an online survey, this research sampled Tianjin urban residents to investigate their climate change perceptions and pro-environmental behaviours. It used a nonprobability sampling design, combined nonproportional quota sampling with snowball sampling, and collected 130 valid responses. The questionnaire investigated Tianjin urban residents' perception of the climate issue, their preferred and trusted information source, and daily pro-environmental household practices. Moreover, it explored crucial factors influencing individuals' knowledge, beliefs, concerns, and engagement in climate action (willingness to pay). The results showed that, on average, respondents' knowledge of climate change was still at a medium level. Meanwhile, respondents expressed a high level of belief about it and its anthropogenic nature and generally held a moderately high level of concern with an increasing trend. People acquired relative information rationally via multiple channels; the government was the most trusted source for learning more information. Respondents carried out various pro-environmental practices in daily life and reported a desire to support environmental protection via household actions, while results indicated their indecisive attitude towards willingness to pay for mitigation.