BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF THE STUDY 

The study presented in this press release is part of the follow-up study of 'Finnish attitudes towards energy issues' concerning 2007. This study series has followed up attitudes towards energy policy issues for as many as 25 years (1983-2007). The extensive and comparable materials of this project enable detailed empirical analysis and systematic follow-up of citizens' opinions.

The latest research results are based on the replies of 1,278 people. Of these, 979 represent the entire Finnish population, and the rest (299 people) represent the population of the specific municipalities of this study (Loviisa and Eurajoki). In the time series concerning the entire follow-up period, the total numer of respondents is 33,114.

The material was collected as a written questionnaire between 6 November 2006 and 8 January 2008. It represents the population between the ages of 18 and 70 in respect of key demographic, social economic and regional factors. The study was implemented in two languages, i.e. the respondents received the questionnaire in either Finnish or Swedish according to their own mother tongue. The confidence interval of the results (depending on the form of the studied distribution) is 2-3 percentage units in each direction. In the results by municipalities the margin is 5-8 percentage units.

The study was carried out by Yhdyskuntatutkimus Oy and ÅF-Consult Ltd assigned by Fortum Corporation (Fortum) and Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) together. The responsible researcher and compiler of the report was Pentti Kiljunen. The Finnish Energy Industries publishes the study results.

The study series was launched in 1983 at the University of Tampere, financed by Imatran Voima Oy. The results of this study have been published in eleven university reports (report series of the Department of Local Government Studies, University of Tampere) and since then in several other publications and reports (e.g. reports published by Yhdyskuntatutkimus Oy, Finergy and Fortum). Nine latest studies are published on the web in Finnish and English. The results of the follow-up study have also been presented in articles and summary texts on the development of the Finnish opinion climate (e.g. Suhonen, Pertti: Yleinen mielipide [Public opinion]. Helsinki 1997).

As in earlier years, the research material from autumn 2007 will be handed over to the Finnish Social Science Data Archives (FSD, a unit of the University of Tampere). The material can be obtained from the data archives for scientific research and teaching purposes. The results of this survey belong to most sought-after materials within the Archives, and are being utilized in various academic research projects and theses.