Climate change: Personal responsibility and energy saving.

We study at the individual level the connection between actions to reduce energy consumption and beliefs about the personal responsibility for climate change mitigation. Also examined is the role of human values and differences between countries in shaping beliefs and actions. Using data from 23 (mostly) European countries, we find large heterogeneity in both beliefs and actions, with wealthy countries more likely to be concerned about the environment. Personal responsibility and efforts to save energy are positively but weakly related. Regarding human values, self-transcendence and openness are positively associated with responsibility, while self-enhancement and conservation are negatively correlated. Values are less connected to energy saving, with a relationship that is positive with conservation and negative with self-enhancement. • We compare energy reduction behaviour with perceived responsibility on climate change. • We study human values and country differences in shaping perceptions and behaviours. • We find large heterogeneity in the 23 (mostly) European countries considered. • Responsibility and energy reduction positively correlate, but the correlation is small. • Human values are more highly correlated with responsibility than with energy saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]