The second part of the 2021-2022 EIB Climate Survey explores people’s views on climate change in a rapidly changing world. The results from this release focus on citizens’ individual behaviour and the actions they are taking to combat climate change.
- 80% of French people feel they are doing all they can to fight climate change in their daily lives, but the majority believe their compatriots are not doing the same
- 61% of French car buyers say they will either choose a hybrid or electric car next time they purchase a vehicle, while the rest would still opt for a petrol or diesel car
- 68% of French people below 30 say they consider climate change when choosing a holiday destination. Yet the majority of them still plan to fly next summer
- 65% of French people say they take the issue of climate change into account when voting
These are some of the results from the second release of the 2021-2022 Climate Survey 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.
Purchases of hybrid and electric cars may soon overtake those of petrol or diesel vehicles
French people are very keen to move to the next generation of cars, but still favour hybrid vehicles over fully electric ones.
When asked about future car purchases, 61% of French car buyers say they will either purchase a hybrid or electric car. This figure is 22 points higher than the percentage of French people who said they would buy a diesel or petrol vehicle (39%). More specifically, 38% of French respondents would purchase a hybrid vehicle and 23% would opt for an electric vehicle.
Only a minority of the overall French population (7%) say they do not have a vehicle now and are not planning to buy one.
With 61% of French car buyers opting for a hybrid or electric vehicle, French people seem less inclined to switch to new car technologies compared to Italians (78%) and Spaniards (78%). In contrast, the car-buying preferences of Dutch people (62%) and Belgians (63%) are in line with those of French people. Meanwhile, Germans seem less inclined to switch to new car technologies (52%).
More specifically, the French seem less inclined to choose hybrid vehicles compared to some of their neighbours, with 38% of French car buyers stating their next car will have this type of engine. This is 13 points lower than the figure for Italians (51%) and seven points lower than the figure for Spaniards (45%). However, Germans are even less in favour of purchasing a hybrid as their next vehicle (29%) than French people.
French car buyers (23%), just like Germans (23%), seem to have their reservations about buying an electric car as their next vehicle. Meanwhile, Spaniards (34%) and Italians (27%) appear to find electric cars more attractive.
Europeans in general are also mostly keen to move to the next generation of cars, but favour hybrid vehicles over fully electric ones.
In general, European car buyers tend to favour hybrid vehicles (39%), while petrol or diesel vehicles are ranked second (33%) and electric cars come third (28% state they would purchase an electric car). While Chinese car buyers are the most inclined to buy an electric car (44%), Americans would opt first for a hybrid vehicle (38%), followed by a petrol or diesel vehicle (33%), then an electric car (29%).
Climate protection versus flying for holidays
64% of French people say they consider climate change when choosing their holiday destination. This concern is stronger amongst people younger than 30 (68%). However, a majority of young people (53%, compared to 39% for people aged 30-64 and 25% for people aged 65 and above) say they will fly for their summer holidays in 2022. More than a quarter of young French people (28%) say they will fly to a faraway destination.
Shopping for clothes, choosing a job, deciding on a bank: how climate considerations affect people’s decisions
51% of French people say they buy second-hand clothes instead of new ones (nine points above the European average). Women are more likely to do so than men (58% for women vs. 44% for men). This practice is particularly popular amongst 15-29 year-olds (64%), while the figure drops 31 points for people older than 65 (33%).
40% of French people consider climate change when searching for a job. This is particularly the case for 15-29 year-olds. 52% of young people take climate change into consideration when job hunting, compared to 38% for people aged 30-64 (14 points lower).
Overall, 40% of French people consider climate change when they choose their bank or invest their savings. This figure is higher among French people between 15-29 year-olds (49%), and decreases with age (40% for 30-64 year-olds and 29% for people above 65).
EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle said: “Despite some clear generational gaps, French people are increasingly changing their consumption habits and behaviour in a more responsible and sustainable manner to tackle climate change. These changes in individual behaviour show that people of all ages are willing to make stronger commitments in their daily lives to help mitigate the climate crisis. These phenomena were voiced during COP26. They are a clear indicator that we need to further our efforts to support the green transition and make sure affordable and practical solutions are available to encourage more sustainable consumption choices. As the EU climate bank, the role of the EIB is to finance projects that focus on clean energy, energy savings, sustainable mobility solutions and innovations that will help limit the rise in temperature to 1.5°C or less.”
Download the Excel spreadsheet with the raw data for all 30 countries surveyed here. Please click here to access an EIB webpage presenting key findings of the EIB Climate Survey IV.
Background information
About the EIB Climate Survey
The European Investment Bank has launched the fourth edition of the EIB Climate Survey, a thorough assessment of how people feel about climate change. Conducted in partnership with market research firm BVA, the fourth edition of the EIB Climate Survey aims to inform the broader debate on attitudes and expectations in terms of climate action. More than 30 000 respondents participated in the survey between 26 August and 22 September 2021, with a representative panel for each of the 30 countries polled.
About the European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union and is owned by the EU Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals both in Europe and beyond. The European Investment Bank is active in around 160 countries and is the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate action projects. The EIB Group has recently adopted its Climate Bank Roadmap to deliver on its ambitious agenda to support €1 trillion of climate action and environmental sustainability investments in the decade to 2030 and to deliver more than 50% of EIB finance for climate action and environmental sustainability by 2025. As part of the roadmap, all new EIB Group operations have also been aligned with the goals and principles of the Paris Agreement since the start of 2021.
About BVA
BVA is an opinion research and consulting firm recognised as one of the most innovative market research firms in its sector. Specialised 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.