A request for acceleration and profound changes. Nearly nine out of ten Europeans (87%) believe that the governments of their countries are not up to the climate emergency and are calling for stricter measures. This is shown by a BVA survey for the Jean Jaurès Foundation and the European Investment Bank, published Thursday 27 October.
This trend is less among the Chinese (76%) and the Americans (74%), but it nevertheless remains the majority according to this study carried out online from August 8 to 31. If the financial crisis remains the main concern of Europeans (45%), climate change comes just behind at 41%, two points more than last year, ahead of the increase in the cost of living (36%).
The Chinese are even more worried about the environment (55%), unlike the British (32%) and Americans (28%) for whom this issue seems less important. Climate change affects the daily lives of at least two thirds of European (80%), American (67%) and Chinese (91%) citizens. The inhabitants of southern Europe feel the impact in particular, especially the Italians (91%), the Greeks (85%) or the Spaniards (83%).
For a very large majority of people worldwide, the emergency is already there: 88% of Chinese believe that if we do not drastically reduce the consumption of goods and energy, we are heading towards a disaster, just like 84% of Europeans. Americans are a little less formal (72%).
All believe that governments are too slow to act and are calling for tougher measures. This is the requirement of nine out of 10 Chinese, two thirds of Europeans (66%) and half of Americans. Renewables are considered an investment priority in the EU (65%) and China (72%), less in the US (47%).
Citizens are divided on the measures already taken in several countries: less than three out of ten would agree to cap the temperature of their homes at 19°C this winter. As for the other avenues, about eight out of ten Chinese approve of the idea of taxing energy consumption with a strong impact on the climate, such as air transport or SUV vehicles, reducing speed on the highway and even indexing the energy prices on the level of consumption. Membership is lower among Europeans and British (about 60%) and among Americans (52%), but still remains the majority.
The survey was conducted among 25,722 people, ie 30 representative samples of the population of each country according to the quota method.