68% of Spaniards believe that climate change can be reversed

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has launched the second edition of its climate survey, in collaboration with opinion research and consultancy firm BVA. The survey analyses citizens’ perception of climate change in the European Union, the United States and China. The first wave of results addresses citizens’ perceptions of climate change and the impact it has on their lives.

The results of the survey show that, although Spaniards are very concerned about this challenge, most of them are optimistic about the possibility of winning this battle. While 89% of the Spanish population recognizes that human beings have a responsibility in the causes that cause climate change, 68% also believe that the situation is reversible, and up to 80% are considered part of the solution to solve this crisis, 11 points above the European average (69%). At the local level, this optimism reaches 83% in the Community of Madrid, while it is slightly lower in Catalonia, where 76% of citizens believe that their actions can make a difference.

The responses of Spaniards are similar to those of their Mediterranean neighbours Italy, Greece and Croatia: the citizens of southern Europe share optimism in the fight against climate change. While all expressing concern in this regard, they consider other issues such as unemployment to be the biggest problem they face in their respective countries. 72% of Spaniards say that unemployment is the first of the three main challenges they face, followed by political instability (56%) and climate change (42%).

In contrast, northern European countries, such as Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany or Austria, perceive the climate crisis as the biggest current threat. This pattern is also reflected in the perception of the impact of climate change on people’s daily lives: citizens of Mediterranean countries recognize a greater impact, with 94% in the case of Italy and 87% in Spain, while the proportion is 63% in Denmark and 66% in Sweden.

On a global scale, climate change is also perceived as one of the main challenges in other areas of the world, to varying degrees: 73% of Chinese citizens consider climate change to be one of the biggest challenges facing society, well ahead of Europeans (47%) and Americans (39%). The survey data also shows that the Chinese are much more optimistic than the inhabitants of other regions: 80% of Chinese believe that it is still possible to reverse climate change, while only 59% of Europeans and 54% of Americans share this optimism.

Despite their general optimism about the resolution of the climate crisis, Spanish citizens are more likely than all Europeans to think that they will have to emigrate in the future, both inside and outside Spain, as a result of climate change. 36% (10 points above the European average) believe they will have to move to a colder country or region in the future. The younger generation considers it an especially serious problem: more than 60% believe they will have to move to colder areas of the country or abroad due to climate change.

Emma Navarro, EIB Vice-President responsible for climate action and the environment, reacted to the results of the survey: “Spanish citizens are very concerned about climate change and the impact it will have on their daily lives and future, but at the same time they are optimistic about the possibility of solving the climate crisis. This is reflected in the EIB survey, a key tool for understanding citizens’ perception of climate change, as well as what they expect from their leaders in the public and private sectors. The EIB, as the European Union’s climate bank, is one of the largest providers of climate finance worldwide and is committed to doing much more. That’s why listening to citizens’ points of view is key to making sure we address their concerns, leaving no one behind.”

Source: CSR Commitment