Steun voor de overgang naar een aardgasvrije woningvoorraad in 2050 : Verschillen tussen groepen en verklarende factoren

The transition to a fossil fuel free society is expected to affect the way we live considerably. As part of Dutch Climate Agreement (Klimaatakkoord) which aims to reduce CO2 emissions, the Dutch government has expressed the ambition to gradually move towards a ‘natural-gas-free’ built environment in 2050. This decision will eventually affect all citizens in the Netherlands, both home owners and tenants. In this paper we study the extent of public support for this policy ambition. We aim to unravel differences between groups, and factors explaining those differences. Data were collected in the LISS-panel, with an online questionnaire, in May 2019 (Verkenning Energietransitie 2019; VET’19). We performed data analyses in this large population study of Dutch residents, using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results show significant differences by financial position, education, age, and gender, with higher support in those financially better off, with a higher level of education, younger adults (18-34 years), and women. These associations could be partly explained by psycho-social and contextual factors included in the model.