- 75% believe that the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its consequences should accelerate the green transition.
- 92% 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.
- 70% want energy prices to be tied to consumption, with those consuming the most being charged more.
- 69% want polluting activities to be taxed more heavily to account for their environmental cost.
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, Portuguese people 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 the number one challenge for Portuguese people last year, concerns over inflation now predominate, with 59% citing them as their top concern, compared with 36% across the rest of the European Union.
Despite the energy and inflation crisis, more than a third of Portuguese people (37%) consider climate change to be one of the biggest challenges the country is facing (an increase of 9 percentage points since last year), particularly those aged 65 and over (for whom the figure is 52%, an increase of 18 percentage points since last year).
In addition, 82% of Portuguese people now say they feel the effects of climate change on their daily lives (an increase of 5 percentage points from 2021).
92% 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. Meanwhile, 93% feel that the government is reacting too slowly, and only a minority (48%) think that Portugal will succeed in substantially reducing its carbon emissions by 2030.
War in Ukraine and green transition
Most Portuguese people (75%) believe that the war in Ukraine and its consequences on the prices of oil and gas should accelerate the green transition (9 percentage points more than the European average of 66%).
When asked to rank their energy priorities, Portuguese people expect their government to prioritise the development of renewable energies (60%) before focusing on energy supply diversification to avoid being overly reliant on a single provider (24%).
Energy savings rank lower in the priorities. 16% (compared with the EU average of 19%) of Portuguese people say that it should be a priority for citizens and companies to do more to reduce their own consumption.
Tackling climate change and addressing high energy prices
To reduce energy consumption, Portuguese people want energy prices to be tied to consumption, with those who consume the most being charged more (70%). They also want polluting activities to be taxed more heavily to account for their environmental cost (69%).
If Portuguese people were to lower the temperature in their homes this winter, 16% of them would accept capping it at 19° C (12 percentage points fewer than the EU average of 28%). Meanwhile, 26% say that they already cannot afford to heat their homes properly.
Finally, on addressing high energy prices, Portuguese people say that in the short term the government should first prioritise the reduction of energy-related taxes (43%). Other measures are less popular, such as capping or regulating the prices of gas, oil and coal (26%), or giving out energy vouchers (8%).
EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix said: “Ahead of the COP27 climate conference, the results of the EIB 2022 Climate Survey show that Portuguese citizens believe that accelerating renewable energy and energy-efficiency measures should be a priority to fight the global energy and climate crisis. At the EIB we have been supporting innovative clean energy investments in Portugal for many years, such as wind farms and more energy-efficient social housing. We stand ready to use our full range of advisory and financial instruments to support Portugal 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.