Third of Irish people believe climate change 'world's biggest crisis'

Trying to reduce waste and regularly separating it for recycling is the most mentioned action that helps to tackle climate change in 25 EU member states, with the highest proportions in Ireland at 89%, the Eurobarometer report said.

European citizens almost universally believe climate change is one of the most serious crises facing the world, with Irish people among those especially concerned, new research has found.

The opinion of more than 26,500 people in various EU states were gauged by Eurobarometer, the public survey arm of the European Commission, with 93% saying the climate crisis was serious, and almost 80% believing it to be very serious.

Just under a third of Irish people consider climate change to be the single most serious problem facing the world, ahead of EU counterparts, the survey found.

"Nearly one in five Europeans (18%) think that climate change is the most serious problem facing the world as a whole, slightly ahead of poverty, hunger and lack of drinking water, and the spread of infectious diseases. This is the first time that climate change ranks first, ahead of all other global challenges listed," the Eurobarometer report said.

Nearly half of those surveyed believe climate change comes second only to poverty, hunger and lack of drinking water, it added.

Climate change is considered one of the most serious problems facing the world by at least a quarter of respondents in every EU member state. 

"It is the most mentioned item in seven countries: Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Belgium and Finland," the report said.

Three-quarters of Irish people believe the Government should take the lead role in tackling climate change, according to Eurobarometer's findings, about the same as Sweden, Malta, and Greece.

The number of Irish people who believe the Government has to provide the impetus for change when it comes to emissions and cleaner policies has rocketed by 26 percentage points in two years. 

Trying to reduce waste and regularly separating it for recycling is the most mentioned action that helps to tackle climate change in 25 EU member states, with the highest proportions in Ireland, at 89%, the report said.

Irish people had the biggest increase in the past two years across the EU when it comes to recycling, it added. 

Ireland and the Netherlands have the highest number of people in the EU who are better insulating their homes to reduce their energy consumption, with 37% in each country doing so.

Carbon footprint of food purchases

Some 40% of Irish shoppers consider the carbon footprint of their food purchases and sometimes adapt their purchases accordingly, the highest level in the bloc, while a quarter have switched to an energy supplier that offers a greater share of energy from renewable sources than their previous one, only second to Belgians.

More than two thirds of people across the EU believe more public financial support should be used for the transition to clean energies, even if it means subsidies for fossil fuels are reduced, including 91% of Irish people.

Some 86% of Irish people believe the costs of damage due to climate change is much higher than the cost of the investment needed for a green transition, the report found.

Three-quarters of Irish citizens believe it important that the Government sets ambitious targets to increase the amount of renewable energy used by 2030.

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Executive vice-president for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, said the Eurobarometer results "serve as a rallying call for politicians and businesses".

“Despite the pandemic and the economic hardship Europeans are facing, support for climate action remains high," he said.

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