Climate

Exclusive Euro news study indicates over half of European voters prioritise climate action

Only 30% of people believe the EU has improved environmental protection. Most European voters consider the battle against climate change to be of utmost importance, as revealed by a recent Euronews-Ipsos poll.

 

According to the survey, 32% of respondents considered it significant but not a priority, while 16% viewed the fight against climate change as a secondary issue.

 

A pan-European survey was conducted before the European elections in June, interviewing 25,916 people across 18 countries to gather insights on various topics. The combined population of these countries accounts for 96% of the total population of the EU.

 

Which European countries prioritise climate action according to voters?

 

In a poll conducted across 18 countries, it was found that 52% of respondents consider the fight against climate change to be a top priority. When we delve into the data for each nation, a more intricate and diverse picture emerges.

 

The countries with the highest percentage of people prioritising climate change were Denmark at 69%, Portugal at 67 % and Sweden at 62%. In Denmark, 23% of the respondents considered it significant but not a priority. Similarly, in Portugal, this figure was 28%, while in Sweden, it stood at 26%.

 

According to the survey, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Finland had the lowest percentage of respondents who considered climate change a priority for the EU. However, only 34 % of individuals in these three countries consider it a priority.

 

In Poland, 35 %of the population considers the fight against climate change secondary importance. Contrastingly, in all other countries, less than a quarter of people shared this perspective.

 

According to the data, women showed a slightly higher inclination to consider the fight against climate change a priority, with 55% of women expressing this view compared to 49 % of men.

 

According to the poll, age does not determine people's views on climate action. According to a recent survey, approximately half of individuals across all age groups consider this matter a top priority, while roughly one-third view it as significant.

 

What is the impact of the EU on environmental protection?

 

With the European elections on the horizon, there is a growing interest in evaluating the impact of various policies on the transformation of the EU in the past five years. In the realm of climate change, significant legislative developments have ushered in substantial transformations, implementing measures designed to reduce emissions by 55 % by 2030.

 

According to recent data, only 32 % of voters believe that the EU has positively impacted environmental protection in recent years.

 

In Romania, respondents expressed the highest approval rate, with nearly half (48%) stating that the EU has had a positive impact. Portugal and Finland had a similar view, with 47 % of voters in Portugal and 45 % in Finland expressing the same opinion.

 

In France, only 23 % of people believe that the EU has positively impacted environmental protection, highlighting a contrasting viewpoint. The highest percentage of all 18 countries thinks the EU has had a negative impact, with 39 % expressing this view. Meanwhile, 38 % remained neutral on the issue.

 

In the Netherlands, respondents expressed limited confidence, as only a quarter of people held a positive view of the EU's environmental action.

 

Recent farmers' protests have swept Europe, with France and the Netherlands taking centre stage. The agricultural industry is pushing back against a range of regulations and policies.

 

Protesters are deeply concerned about the European Green Deal, arguing that it hampers their business operations and disadvantages their products compared to imports from outside the EU.