A Eurobarometer survey published yesterday (3 March) has found that reducing waste and recycling are the most common actions Europeans are likely to take to mitigate climate change.
Conducted by TNS Opinion & Social (TNS) between the 23 November and 2 December 2013 (at the request of the European Commission, Directorate-General for Climate Action), the Eurobarometer 409 survey asked 27,919 respondents in the 28 EU member states what their perceptions were of climate change and whether they had taken any personal action to fight it.
The survey was commissioned to ‘understand the attitudes and behaviour of the EU general population’ regarding climate change to help Europe ‘meet the objectives of preventing and minimising the impact of [it]’.
Survey Findings
TNS found that climate change was considered the third biggest global problem by respondents after world poverty and economic problems. Indeed, 90 per cent considered climate change ‘a serious problem’ and 69 per cent said they thought it was ‘very serious’.
Half (50 per cent) of all Europeans questioned said they thought that climate change was one of the world’s most serious problems and around one in six Europeans (16 per cent) said it was the single most serious problem.
Notably, this marks a decrease in certainty when compared to a similar survey undertaken in 2011, when 54 per cent of people said that it was the most serious problem.
Respondents in Sweden were the most likely to say climate change was one of the most serious problems (81 per cent), with only 28 per cent of those in Estonia agreeing.
When prompted, the action Europeans said they were most likely to take to fight climate change was reducing waste and recycling regularly (69 per cent).
Other actions most widely undertaken included:
- cutting down on the use of disposable items (51 per cent);
- buying local and seasonal produce whenever possible (36 per cent);
- choosing new household appliances mainly because they are more energy-efficient (34 per cent);
- regularly using environmentally-friendly forms of transport as an alternative to their own car (28 per cent); and
- improving home insulation to reduce energy consumption (21 per cent).
The majority of respondents also agreed that improving energy efficiency and security was important to help mitigate climate change, with just over nine in ten Europeans (92 per cent) saying that it was ‘important’ their government provided support for improving energy efficiency by 2030, with around half (51 per cent) saying that it was ‘very important’.
Nine in ten Europeans also said it was ‘important’ for governments to set targets to increase the amount of renewable energy used by 2030, with around half (49 per cent) saying it was “very important”. Over two-thirds of respondents also said there ‘could be’ economic benefits to reducing imported fossil fuels.
Finally, 80 per cent of respondents agreed that ‘fighting climate change and using energy more efficiently can boost the economy and employment.’ This remains fairly constant from the previous score of 78 per cent.
No choice to be made, says report
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said: "There is not a choice to make between good economics and climate protection: cost-effective climate action is indeed good economics. I am very encouraged that European citizens recognise that too.
“This poll sends a strong signal to EU leaders to take bold climate action for a sustainable economic recovery. And it is an encouragement also for us in the Commission to continue fighting for ambitious climate action in Europe."
Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action, added: ''The poll confirms that a clear majority of Europeans expect their politicians to tackle the climate challenge now. The citizens understand that climate change did not go away while their governments were busy handling the economic crisis.
“It is not either growth and competitiveness or the climate. It is both, it has to be both.I hope that EU leaders will listen and act accordingly at the European Council later this month when they will discuss our 2030 climate and energy proposals.’
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.