Climate Change: 75% Of Irish People Think Its The Biggest Challenge For Humanity

A survey shows that 75% of Irish people think that climate change and its consequences are the biggest challenges for humanity in the 21st century. The report focused on citizens’ perceptions of climate change and the actions they expect their country to take to combat it.

More than 30 000 respondents participated in the European Investment Bank (EIB) survey between 26 August and 22 September 2021.

Climate Change Main Points from The Research

• 68% believe that they are more concerned about the climate emergency than their government.

• 72% feel that climate change impacts their everyday lives (five points higher than last year).

• 59% think the country will fail in drastically reducing its carbon emissions by 2050, as pledged in the Paris Agreement.

• 66% favour stricter government measures that impose changes on people’s behaviour (six points lower than last year).

• 69% would welcome a tax on products and services that contribute most to global warming.

• 85% say they want to replace short-distance flights with fast, low-polluting trains in collaboration with neighbouring countries.

The Public’s Perception

Over 60% of Irish people believe that they are more concerned about climate change than their government. So they are reasonably sceptical regarding their country’s capability to undergo an ambitious green transition.

And with the majority of people believing that Ireland will fail to reduce its carbon emissions by 2050, 66% of Irish people favour stricter government measures. Similar to the ones implemented to combat the COVID-19 crisis — that would impose changes on people’s behaviour.

Meanwhile, 8% of Irish people believe that global warming is not due to human activities.

To help reduce carbon emissions by 2050, Christian Kettel, Vice president of EIB, said they are “working closely with Ireland’s public and private sectors to facilitate change through innovative partnerships to boost energy efficiency in buildings and advice on introducing cleaner modes of transport in urban areas.

The Energy Debate

Most Irish people support renewable energy (70%) to address climate change and are slightly less supportive of nuclear power than other Europeans.

Finally, people are less likely to think that their country should rely on energy savings than other Europeans despite the older generation being more supportive of saving energy than the younger generation.

Most Popular Solutions to Tackle Climate Change

Most of the Irish public (69%) would support introducing a tax on products and services that contribute most to global warming. Even among those with lower incomes, 68% would favour such a tax in Ireland.

They are also in favour of a 5-year minimum warranty on any electric or electronic product (90%) and replacing short-distance flights with fast, low-emission trains (85%). Along with softer measures like strengthening education and increasing awareness of sustainable consumption for young adults (93%).

See more stories here.