The fight against climate change requires collective action — from governments, institutions, businesses and individuals. A good understanding of the climate challenge is essential for people to make informed choices. To assess the public’s understanding of climate change in Lithuania, the sixth edition of the EIB Climate Survey focuses on people’s knowledge of climate change in three key areas: definitions and causes, consequences, and solutions. Participants answered 12 questions and were ranked on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 indicating the highest level of knowledge. With over 30 000 respondents across 35 countries, including the EU Member States, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Japan, India and Canada, the EIB Climate Survey provides valuable insights into people’s overall understanding of climate change.
Key findings
- Lithuanians rank 13th in the EU27 (score of 6.45/10), placing them slightly above the EU average of 6.37/10, according to the EIB survey. Finland leads the scoreboard with 7.22/10, followed by Luxembourg (7.19/10) and Sweden (6.96/10). Lithuania ranks immediately after Estonia and ahead of Slovenia in a knowledge test on the causes and consequences of climate change and solutions to address it.
- Overall knowledge gaps: Lithuanians are aware of the causes and consequences of climate change but there is room for improvement in their knowledge about solutions. Similarly to the findings in most EU countries, a large share of Lithuanian respondents did not know that reducing speed limits on roads (88%) or better insulating buildings (58%) can help combat climate change.
How well do people understand the causes of climate change?
The first sub-index focuses on the definition and causes of climate change. In this area, Lithuanians scored well above the EU average (7.57/10 compared to 7.21/10), ranking seventh in the European Union.
- When it came to defining climate change, most Lithuanian respondents (75%) selected the correct definition (“A long-term shift in global climate patterns”), while only 6% believe that climate change is a hoax.
- Three-quarters (75%) are also aware that the main causes of climate change are human activities such as deforestation, agriculture, industry and transport. Meanwhile, a quarter of the respondents believe otherwise (18% thinking it is caused by extreme natural phenomena, such as volcanic eruptions and heatwaves, and 7% believing that climate change is caused by the ozone hole).
- When asked about the three biggest greenhouse gas emitters worldwide, most Lithuanians (77%) correctly selected the United States, China and India.
How aware are people of the consequences of climate change?
When asked about the consequences of climate change, Lithuanians scored 7.69/10 (ranking 14th in the European Union), slightly above the EU average (7.65/10).
- 85% know that it has a negative impact on human health (for example, it can lead to an increase in air pollutants such as ground-level ozone and particulate matter).
- 86% also correctly said that climate change is worsening world hunger by affecting crop yields due to extreme weather.
- Regarding the impact of climate change on sea levels, 70% of Lithuanians correctly said that the global sea level is rising, but nearly a third (30%) got it wrong: more specifically, 12% of respondents said that it is falling and 18% said that climate change has no specific impact on the sea level.
- The impact of climate change on migration, with increased forced displacement worldwide, is clear for two-thirds of Lithuanian respondents (66%).
Knowledge of how to combat climate change varies
In the last sub-index, Lithuanian respondents scored 4.09/10 (below the EU average of 4.25/10), indicating significantly less knowledge of actions that can help mitigate climate change compared to the other two areas investigated. This highlights a general trend across EU countries, with most of them receiving low scores in this area. This score places Lithuania 18th out of 27 EU countries.
- Most Lithuanians (76%) know that using recyclable products can help mitigate climate change.
- 66% also correctly said that using public transport instead of an individual car is a step in the right direction.
- But only a minority (42%) seem to know that better insulating buildings can also help.
- For now, less than half of respondents (41%) are aware that buying new clothes less frequently would help mitigate climate change too.
- Very few respondents (12%, 14 percentage points below the EU average) seem to know that reducing the speed limit on roads could help.
- Finally, most Lithuanians are unaware of the significant impact that digital usage has on climate change, with only 6% saying that watching fewer videos online can help to mitigate it.
- Like in most countries in Europe, only a minority of Lithuanians (40%) were able to correctly define an individual’s carbon footprint as “the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted by a person in a year.”
As the EU's financing arm, the EIB is investing in key projects across Lithuania to support the country's green transition. Recent examples include investments in Lithuanian utility Ignitis Group to expand a key pumped storage hydropower plant and reduce the country's dependence on fossil fuels. The investment made the Kruonis pumped storage plant one of the largest energy storage facilities in Europe. In addition, EIB support improved the national rail passenger transport system by adding 15 modern electric passenger trains. The operation increased the attractiveness and comfort of rail passenger transport throughout Lithuania, while reducing dependence on fossil fuel transport modes and improving safety and journey times for passengers.
EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros: “Climate change can only be limited if we work together. It is important to identify and address the knowledge gaps found in the EIB Climate Survey. At the EIB, we provide financing to fight climate change, but we also recognise our role in contributing to the debate and education around the issue. Education is a powerful tool for change. We are committed to complementing our financing with initiatives that promote climate awareness and knowledge. This is how we build a sustainable future that leaves no one behind.”
Background information
Data and methodology
The survey methodology, questionnaire and full dataset can be downloaded here.
About the European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It is active in more than 160 countries and makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals. You can find more information about the EIB and climate education here.
About BVA Xsight
BVA Xsight is a pioneer in market research and consulting.