In response to the international goal of net-zero emissions and corresponding trends, the central government of Taiwan has announced the "Taiwan 2050 Net-Zero Emission Pathway" and passed the "Climate Change Response Act" in its third reading, aligning with global initiatives and symbolizing a new milestone in national climate governance. Conducting long-term surveys on climate change and net-zero emission literacy is pivotal for data-driven policy formulation.
To develop a segmented survey framework and items for climate change and net-zero emission literacy in Taiwan, and to conduct literacy surveys and data analysis, we designed core and special questions suitable for the 2023 context, drawing from domestic and international literature and expert advice. Between July and October this year, we obtained 11,147 valid samples through stratified random sampling, stratified quota sampling, and stratified proportional system sampling, including 2,492 from the general population, 1,883 from civil servants, 1,356 from junior high and elementary school teachers, 1,695 from high school and vocational students, 1,810 from junior high students, and 1,911 from elementary students.
The survey revealed that, except for high school and vocational students, all groups showed that 'affective components can enhance action' and that 'knowledge can predict affective aspects'. Additionally, a generational gap was observed between the samples of the general population, civil servants, teachers, and students. The former groups demonstrated a stronger perception of the occurrence and urgency of climate change compared to students, with younger students showing even less awareness of the urgent nature of climate change.
Taiwanese citizens' concern for national security issues arising from climate change has been increasing yearly, yet civic participation has been declining. Civil servants have improved their literacy on climate change, aligning with national policy trends, but are unfamiliar with response strategies.
Analysis of primary and secondary school teachers, through statistical methods and expert meetings, revealed a gradual shift in their perception of climate change education. They have moved beyond the stereotype of treating climate change solely as a natural science topic, recognizing its impact on student development and agreeing on the growing challenges of climate change in the future. However, a lack of resources in climate change education, including teaching materials and teacher empowerment channels, poses a threat to future education in this area. Students conservatively agree that climate change will affect their future, with a declining interest in the topic. Testing platform for the database has been established, enhancing the research team's management efficiency.
Finally, our team suggests that the government should accelerate the mainstreaming of climate change education, enhance teacher training resources, develop strategies to motivate action, implement key training in the public sector, and improve public literacy on climate change and net-zero emissions.
