Climate Change Scepticism in Spain: Are the Political and Ideological Drivers so Important?

Abstract

Amidst mounting evidence of anthropogenic climate change, the prevalence and drivers of denialist and sceptical viewpoints have been a subject of considerable debate, particularly within the United States where political and ideological influences have been emphasised. This study addresses calls to examine the generalisability of this relationship to other contexts, focusing on 'Environment' surveys by the Spanish Centre for Sociological Research's 2010 and 2023. The findings indicate that climate change scepticism remains low in Spain. While a minor recent polarisation is observed, political-ideological affiliation does not appear to be a primary determinant. Instead, environmental beliefs and perceived exposure to environmental problems are identified as the most significant predictors of scepticism. These results highlight the importance of contextualising research on climate change scepticism beyond the US and encourage further investigation across diverse geographical settings.