Finnish Energy Attitudes 2009, Research report 26 June 2010

Results of a follow-up study concerning Finnish
attitudes towards energy issues 1983-2009

The material was gathered as a written survey from 20 October 2009 to 7 January 2010
Research report 26 June 2010

Background information on the research

The research introduced here is part of the 'Finnish attitudes towards energy issues' follow-up research and its survey of 2009. The research series has been used to clarify and follow people's attitudes towards questions on energy policy for the past twenty seven years (1983-2009). The wide and comparable materials of the project enable the detailed empirical analysis and systematic follow-up of public opinion.

The current research results are based on responses from 1,378 people in total. 989 of the respondents represent the population of the whole country, others (389 people) represent the population of the special target municipalities of the research, i.e., Loviisa and Eurajoki. The sample in Loviisa included, in addition to Loviisa, the residents of the other municipalities of Suur-Loviisa (Pernaja, Ruotsinpyhtää, Liljendal) which was established at the beginning of 2010. In the time series study of people's attitudes during the whole follow-up period, the total amount of respondents has been 35,173.

The material was gathered as a written survey from 20 October 2009 to 7 January 2010. It represents the population aged 18 to 70 on the central demographic, economic and social, and regional factors. The research was bilingual: the respondents could choose a Finnish or Swedish questionnaire according to their mother tongue. The confidence interval of the results was 2 to 3 percentage points in either direction (depending on the distribution to be studied). In the results based on the municipality, the marginal was from 5 to 8 percentage points.

The research was carried out by Yhdyskuntatutkimus Oy and ÅF-Consult Oy (former ÅF-Enprima Oy) by order of Fortum Oyj (Fortum) and Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO). The responsible researcher and the author of the report was Pentti Kiljunen. Energiateollisuus ry - Finnish Energy Industries is responsible for reporting the survey results.

The research series was initiated at the University of Tampere with financing from Imatran Voima Oy in 1983. Its results have been published in eleven university reports (Kunnallistieteen laitoksen raporttisarjat, Tampereen yliopisto) and, after this, in many other publications and newsletters (for example, reports by Yhdyskuntatutkimus Oy, Finergy, IVO and Fortum). Up to now, the Finnish and English Internet reports have been published for eleven research years. The results of the follow-up survey have also been introduced in articles and compilations that survey the development of the Finnish opinions (for example, Suhonen, Pertti: Yleinen mielipide. Helsinki 1997).

As previously, the current research material is handed over to the Finnish Social Science Data Archive (FSD, University of Tampere). FSD then provides the material for research and teaching purposes. According to FSD's statistics on use, the materials of the energy attitude research series have been one of the most requested in the archive. They have been utilised and are utilised in several academic research projects and theses in different universities in Finland and in other countries.

Report and Web pages authored by Pentti Kiljunen / PGraphics 2010
Yhdyskuntatutkimus Oy

Further information - questions - comments?

For further information on the research, please contact:

Mr Pekka Tiusanen, Manager, Communications
Finnish Energy Industries
pekka.tiusanen (at) energia.fi , tel. +358 9 5302 2107, +358 50 552 1347

Mr Pentti Kiljunen, Research Director
Yhdyskuntatutkimus Oy
pentti.kiljunen (at) sci.fi , tel. +358 3 3677 112, +358 40 545 8011

Mr Pekka Järvinen, Senior Adviser
ÅF-Consult Ltd
pekka.jarvinen (at) afconsult.com , tel. + 358 40 348 5284

Finnish Energy Attitudes 2009

Contents 

 1. Attitudes towards various forms of energy
     1.1. Present situation
     1.2. Changes in attitudes

 2. Attitudes towards nuclear power
     2.1. Further construction of nuclear power plants
           2.1.1. The fifth nuclear power plant
           2.1.2  How many power plants should be given a permit
     2.2. Differences in attitudes between population groups
     2.3. Nuclear waste
     2.4. Other assessments concerning nuclear power 

 3. Energy, the environment and growth
     3.1. The importance of viewpoints on energy solutions
     3.2. Climate change
     3.3. Other attitudes regarding the environment and growth

 4. Energy conservation
     4.1. Attitudes towards the conservation of energy
     4.2. Reliability of information sources

 5. Alternative energy sources

 6. Decision-making and control of energy policy

 7. Attitudes towards the electricity market

 8. Energy and the future - predictions by citizens

Appendix: Figures of the report in pdf-file (60 pages, 780 kB)

Open the Research report 26 June 2010 in English
FINNISH ENERGY ATTITUDES 2009 STUDY