Polski
Eurobarometer is an international regular opinion poll project commissioned by the European Commission. The latest climate change survey shows that a majority of EU residents believe the green transition should be faster. The survey covered 26,358 EU citizens from different social and demographic groups in all 27 member states. It was conducted between May 10 and June 15, 2023.
The Eurobarometer survey showed that EU citizens overwhelmingly support the green transition, consider the environment and climate change as one of the key issues facing the Union, and expect massive investment in renewable energy sources.
Environmental transformation according to EU residents
According to the survey, 93% of EU residents believe that climate change is a serious problem for the entire world. More than half (58%) of those surveyed said that the transition to a green economy should be accelerated in the face of soaring energy prices and concerns about gas supplies following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As many as 73% of EU residents agree that the cost of the damage caused by climate change is much higher than the investment needed to transition to a green economy. Three-quarters (75%) of EU residents also agree that taking action on climate will lead to the implementation of innovation. The Union needs an ecological transformation, and the administration has the support of citizens for the proposed changes.
Ecological transformation – steps needed to accelerate it
The ecological transformation will accelerate if the necessary measures are implemented: reducing the release of greenhouse gases, implementing renewable energy sources and increasing energy efficiency. Nearly 90% of EU citizens agree that emissions must be reduced to a minimum in order for the Community to become climate neutral by 2050. An overwhelming majority of residents (87%) believe it is important for the EU to set ambitious targets for increasing the use of renewable energy, and a similar percentage (85%) say it is important to take steps to improve energy efficiency, such as by encouraging residents to insulate their homes, install solar panels or purchase electric cars. Respondents (70%) also believe that reducing fossil fuel imports can increase energy security and bring economic benefits to the Union.
Opinion of EU residents on willingness to take action to accelerate environmental transition
The vast majority of EU citizens (93%) already take individual climate action and consciously make sustainable choices in their daily lives. Just over half of Europeans feel that the European Union (56%), national governments (56%), business and industry (53%) are responsible for tackling climate change, while only 35% also feel personal responsibility.
European citizens feel the dangers of climate change in their daily lives. More than a third of them note personal risks and hazards related to the environment and climate. Nearly 85% of EU citizens agree that tackling climate change and environmental issues should be a priority to improve public health, while 63% note that adapting to the effects of climate change can bring them numerous benefits.
Detailed information on the climate change survey conducted can be found on the Eurobarometer website.
To explore the topic of ecological transformation and its financing, I encourage you to read our previous publications. In the article titled. “As part of a modernization fund to accelerate the clean energy transition to Poland in 2022. 643.2 million euros were hit” we discuss the details of the allocation of funds for this purpose. Meanwhile, in the text“Modernization Fund – 2.4 billion euros to accelerate greentransformation,” we provide a broader context for financial support for green initiatives.
