FDZ data description: Socio-ecological panel - wave 5 (Green-SÖP)

[Introduction] Against the backdrop of global warming, many countries have implemented a large suite of environmental and energy policies. Germany has initiated the so-called "Energiewende" (Energy Transition), which involves a withdrawal from nuclear power, an increase in energy efficiency, and a rapid expansion of renewable energy sources. This endeavor necessarily induces major technological transformations as well as high costs, which private customers will bear to a large extent. To shed light on the energy transition, the research project AKZEPTANZ conducted a survey to investigate the acceptance of environmental policies.1 Specifically, the project gathered data on the current and prospective burden of energy costs on households and their preferences towards a sustainable and secure energy supply. Moreover, the project elicited attitudes towards fairness, climate change, environment, personal costs and benefits, as well as the respondents' individual willingness to pay (WTP) and to accept (WTA) concerning the introduction of energy and environmental policies. The survey within the framework of the project AKZEPTANZ was conducted between December 2015 and February 2016 and extends the Socio-Ecological Panel (Green-SÖP) by a fifth wave (for a description of the Socio-Ecological Panel wave 1 to 4, see Kussel and Larysch, 2017). By providing insights into the preferences and attitudes of households towards the systemic changes entailed by the energy transition in Germany, it fills a gap in research, which has not been addressed before. This data description provides a brief overview of wave 5 of the Green-SÖP. The next section explains the process and methodology of data collection in more detail and relates wave 5 to the preceding waves. Section 3 describes the socio-economic features of the sample. Information on how the data can be accessed and a codebook with details on all variables are annexed.