Gender and Political Leanings Determine Perspectives on Climate Change

Nearly eight out of ten Swedes believe there is a strong or fairly strong connection between the heat records and widespread forest fires affecting Europe and climate change. This is shown by a new opinion poll from Indikator Opinion.

The survey simultaneously shows that opinions differ clearly between different groups in society. According to Daniel Lindvall, associate professor of sociology at Uppsala University specializing in climate attitudes, the climate issue has become increasingly politically polarized in recent years.

– The climate issue has become very politically polarized. Previously, we had broader political consensus on climate policy; now, above all, the Tidö parties have deprioritized the issue, he told state television.

Gender also plays a major role in how the link between climate change and forest fires is perceived. In the survey, 85 percent of women said they see a very strong or fairly strong connection between heat records, forest fires, and climate change.

Among men, the corresponding figure is 68 percent. At the same time, it is significantly more common among men to state that the connection is small or non-existent.

Arson Fires

The issue has been brought into focus after this summer’s extensive forest fires in, among other places, France and Spain, where hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes. Researchers claim that a warmer climate contributes to longer and more intense heatwaves as well as drier ground, which increases the risk of large-scale fires.

At the same time, researchers emphasize that the vast majority of fires in Europe are still caused by human activity, for example through carelessness or intentional arson.

Daniel Lindvall believes that today the climate issue has to a large extent become a matter of identity, where people’s political leanings influence how they interpret research and facts. According to him, it is often about defending one’s own worldview rather than simply taking a stand based solely on scientific knowledge.