This article discusses one of the most important social factors of climate protection:
climate concern. Most research in this area focuses on North America and Western Europe
or presents international comparative statistics. Our work is innovative because we
have designated a lesser-known post-socialist region in East-Central Europe as a sample
area, and we intend to conduct in-depth analyses at the municipal level. Our study
describes the second largest city in Hungary, Debrecen, and its agglomeration. Based
on a questionnaire survey in 2020 (N = 512), we examined opinion factors, and we have
presented features consistent with or different from the findings in the relevant
literature. In the statistical analysis, chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions
were applied to reveal significant differences between the responses of different
types of respondents. As response variables, we used the questions about general concerns
regarding air pollution, knowledge about climate change, beliefs about tackling, perceived
threat, behavioural responses, personal actions, and demography. We found that the
concern about air pollution and a feeling of threat to respondents’ life was mainly
affected by the degree of climate concern. We conclude that the knowledge of local
communities on climate change has increased, and risk perception has improved. Still,
there is no clear relationship between the level of concern and climate-conscious
behaviour. The findings provide ideas for promoting local climate management and awareness-raising
in the European Union or other countries.
