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 Austria, 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
- Austrians rank ninth in the EU27 (score of 6.49/10), 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). Austria ranks immediately after Belgium and ahead of Germany in a knowledge test on the causes and consequences of climate change and solutions to address it.
- Generational gap: Austrians over 50 know more than younger generations when it comes to the causes and consequences of climate change and solutions to address it.
- Overall knowledge gaps: Austrians 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 Austrian respondents did not know that reducing speed limits on roads (67%) or better insulating buildings (55%) 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, Austrians scored well above the EU average (7.68/10 compared to 7.21/10), ranking fifth in the European Union.
- When it came to defining climate change, most Austrian respondents (75%) selected the correct definition (“A long-term shift in global climate patterns”), while 8% believe that climate change is a hoax.
- Three-quarters (76%) are also aware that the main causes of climate change are human activities such as deforestation, agriculture, industry and transport. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of the respondents believe otherwise (18% thinking it is caused by extreme natural phenomena, such as volcanic eruptions and heatwaves, and 5% believing that climate change is caused by the ozone hole).
- When asked about the three biggest greenhouse gas emitters worldwide, most Austrians (80%, 8 percentage points above the EU average) 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, Austrians scored 7.38/10 (ranking 18th in the European Union), coming in below the EU average (7.65/10) this time.
- 78% 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).
- 81% 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, 69% of Austrians correctly said that the global sea level is rising, but nearly a third (31%) got it wrong: more specifically, 17% of respondents said that it is falling and 14% 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 (67%) of Austrian respondents.
Knowledge of how to combat climate change varies
In the last sub-index, Austrian respondents scored 4.41/10, above the EU average of 4.25/10 but still 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 Austria 13th out of 27 EU countries.
- Most Austrians (70%) know that using recyclable products can help mitigate climate change.
- 65% also correctly said that using public transport instead of an individual car is a step in the right direction.
- But only a minority (45%) know that better insulating buildings can help mitigate climate change.
- For now, less than half of respondents (47%) are aware that buying new clothes less frequently is a way to reduce climate change.
- Only a third of respondents (33%, but 7 percentage points above the EU average) seem to know that reducing the speed limit on roads would help mitigate climate change.
- Finally, most Austrians are unaware of the significant impact that digital usage has on the climate, with only 12% (albeit 3 percentage points above the EU average) saying that watching fewer videos online can help mitigate climate change.
- Like in most countries in Europe, only a minority of Austrians (45%) 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.”
Generational gap
Knowledge about climate change varies depending on different aspects of people’s sociodemographic profiles. One of the most notable correlations is with age. Austrians over 50 know more than younger generations when it comes to the causes and consequences of climate change and solutions to address it, scoring 6.89/10 overall compared to 6.18/10 for people below 50. In some areas, this generational gap in knowledge is significant.
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There is a significant generational gap in people’s understanding of the definition and causes of climate change (8.22 for over 50s compared to 7.26 for under 50s).
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This gap is also notable on the second sub-index about the consequences of climate change (7.92 for over 50s compared to 6.96 for under 50s).
- The difference in scores is less significant when it comes to what can be done to fight climate change (4.53 for over 50s compared to 4.31 for under 50s).
As the EU's financing arm, the EIB is investing in major projects in Austria that are supporting the country's green transition. A recent example is our financing a research and development program of the Austrian steelmaker voestalpine that will decarbonize steel production. As of today, steel production stands for 5 % of all Austrian CO2-emissions. With the new technology implemented, voestalpine`s CO2-emissions will drop by 30%.
We also invest into new windfarms in the country, for example the new Engelhartstetten windfarm in Lower Austria and the Pretul windfarm high up in the mountains of Styria.
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.
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