- 76% believe that the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its consequences should provide an impetus to accelerate the green transition.
- 90% say that, if we do not drastically reduce our consumption of energy and goods in the coming years, we will be heading for a global catastrophe.
- 65% are in favour of indexing energy prices to the level of consumption per household.
- 60% want highly polluting goods and services, such as sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and air travel, to be more expensive to account for their level of pollution.
These are some of the results from the latest yearly climate survey, conducted in August 2022 and published today by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The EIB is the lending arm of the European Union and the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate action projects.
After a challenging year in which Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked an ongoing energy crisis and accelerated inflation all over Europe, and a summer marked by record heatwaves and droughts, Cypriots have become even more acutely aware of the impact of climate change and the need for urgent action.
Climate change awareness and urgency
While COVID-19 was considered one of the biggest challenges facing Cypriots last year, concerns about inflation now predominate. 83% cite it as their top concern, compared with 36% across the rest of the European Union.
Meanwhile, 78% of Cypriots say they are feeling the effects of climate change on their daily lives.
Furthermore, 90% think that, if we do not drastically reduce our consumption of energy and goods in the coming years, we will be heading for a global catastrophe. At the same time, 89% feel that the government is reacting too slowly, and only 30% think that Cyprus will succeed in substantially reducing its carbon emissions by 2030.
War in Ukraine and green transition
Most Cypriots (76%) believe that the war in Ukraine and its consequences for the price of oil and gas should accelerate the green transition (10 percentage points more than the European average of 66%). Note that the survey was conducted in August this year and that public opinion may evolve rapidly.
When asked to rank their energy priorities, Cypriots expect their government to prioritise the development of renewable energies (70%), before focusing on energy supply diversification to avoid being overly reliant on a single energy provider (21%).
Tackling climate change and addressing high energy prices
To reduce energy consumption, Cypriots prioritise heavily taxing highly polluting goods and services, such as SUVs and air transport (60%). They also support the indexing of energy prices to the level of consumption per household (65%): the more you consume, the more expensive energy becomes.
If Cypriots were to lower the temperature in their homes this winter, only 4% of them would accept capping it at 19° C (14 percentage points less than in Greece, where 18% would accept, and 24 percentage points less than the European average of 28%). Meanwhile, 42% of Cypriots say that they already cannot afford to heat their home properly.
Finally, on addressing high energy prices, Cypriots think that in the short term the government should prioritise reducing energy-related taxes (37%) over capping or regulating the price of gas, oil and coal (24%) and giving out energy vouchers (21%).
The EIB’s Vice-President Lilyana Pavlova stated: “Ahead of the COP27 climate conference, the results of the EIB’s 2022 climate survey show that Cypriots believe that accelerating renewable energy is a priority in fighting the global energy and climate crisis. At the EIB, we have been supporting innovative clean energy investments for many years, such as the construction of off-shore wind farms and more energy-efficient social housing. We stand ready to use our full range of advisory and financial instruments to support Cyprus in a just green energy transition that leaves no one behind.”
Background information
About the EIB Climate Survey
The EIB has launched the fifth edition of the EIB Climate Survey, a thorough assessment of how people feel about climate change. Conducted in partnership with the market research firm BVA, the fifth edition of the EIB Climate Survey aims to inform the broader debate on attitudes and expectations in terms of climate action. More than 28 000 respondents participated in the survey in August 2022, with a representative panel of people aged 15 and above for each of the 30 countries polled.
About the EIB
Since 2019, the EIB has accelerated its transformation into a climate bank by committing to devoting at least 50% of its financing from 2025 to investments that contribute to the fight against climate change and the mitigation of its effects.
About BVA
BVA is an opinion research and consulting firm recognised as one of the most innovative market research firms in its sector. Specialising in behavioural marketing, BVA combines data science and social science to make data inspiring and bring it to life. BVA is also a member of the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN), a global network of some of the world’s leading market research and survey players, with over 40 members.