2023-05-02 17:42:04
Only one constant emerges from this survey. In Sweden, Germany, the UK, Spain, France and Italy, European citizens are worried regarding climate change and its effects, as a YouGov poll of 9,000 people in seven countries shows. . The result of decades of awareness-raising, particularly through IPCC reports, less than 20% of respondents said that climate change was not due to human activity. On the other hand, 5% strive to deny that it is happening. But the purpose of this study, unveiled by the Guardian, was above all to test the support of Europeans for more or less restrictive state climate measures. It reveals many disparities between countries.
Plant trees yes, ban cars no
You shouldn’t exaggerate. The responses to this poll suggest that many people strongly support measures that do not affect their way of life much. Those that would be needed to fight climate change, on the other hand, are unpopular. 45% of Germans and 72% of Spaniards support government tree planting programs. A measure whose impact on the climate is in doubt. The same goes for single-use plastic: the majority of people questioned would be happy never to buy products made from this very polluting material once more (56% in the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy). And even 63% of Swedes and 75% of Spaniards would support a government ban on these products.
Measures that do not involve great sacrifices in everyday life. Because when we tackle the measures that will have a real impact in the fight once morest climate change, the answers are much less unanimous. When asked if they would be ready to switch to an electric car (and it still has to be not too heavy to avoid polluting) a little less than a third of the people questioned in the seven countries studied – from 19% in Germany to 40% in Italy, passing through 32% in Denmark – answered in the affirmative. And when asked what they think of a ban on fossil-fuel cars, only in Spain and Italy are those in favor of the idea outnumbering those who support it. oppose. The two most opposed countries? France and Germany, with 60% of respondents once morest.
An impossible collective struggle?
The answers are also divergent when it comes to abandoning the car completely in favor of public transport, walking or cycling. In France, Spain and Italy, respectively 35%, 44% and 40% of respondents say they are ready to take the plunge. Support is lowest in the UK (22%), Germany (24%), Denmark (20%) and Sweden (21%). For their part, 25% of French people already say they walk, cycle or use public transport rather than driving, compared to 11% to 16% elsewhere.
In view of the disparities between countries, it seems difficult to envisage a European fight once morest climate change that will achieve unanimity. However, between 76% and 85% of European citizens believe that the fight would be more effective if the countries worked together. Recently, the European Union validated the ban on the sale of thermal cars for 2035. Poland voted once morest, while Italy, Romania and Bulgaria abstained. Germany was also once morest it, before turning around. How can we envisage saving the planet if, even within Europe, we do not agree on the way forward?
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