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 Bulgaria, 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
- Bulgarian respondents scored 6.10/10, placing them slightly below the EU average of 6.37/10, in a knowledge test on the causes and consequences of climate change and solutions to address it. Finland leads the scoreboard with 7.22/10, followed by Luxembourg (7.19/10) and Sweden (6.96/10).
- Overall knowledge gaps: Bulgarians 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 Bulgarian respondents did not know that reducing speed limits on roads (86%) or better insulating buildings (62%) 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, Bulgarians scored very close to the EU average (7.19/10 compared to 7.21/10).
- When it came to defining climate change, most Bulgarian respondents (71%) selected the correct definition (“A long-term shift in global climate patterns”), while only 6% believe that climate change is a hoax.
- More than three-quarters (79%) are also aware that the main causes of climate change are human activities such as deforestation, agriculture, industry and transport. Meanwhile, less than a quarter of the respondents believe otherwise (12% thinking it is caused by extreme natural phenomena, such as volcanic eruptions and heatwaves, and 9% believing that climate change is caused by the ozone hole).
- When asked about the three biggest greenhouse gas emitters worldwide, most Bulgarians (66%) correctly selected the United States, China and India. However, one-third (34%) chose an answer that did not include China, indicating that they are not necessarily aware of it being among the top three emitters — let alone the main emitter — of CO2 globally.
How aware are people of the consequences of climate change?
When asked about the consequences of climate change, Bulgarians scored 7.32/10, below the EU average of 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).
- 85% 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, 64% of Bulgarians correctly said that the global sea level is rising, but over a third (36%) got it wrong: more specifically,13% of respondents said that it is falling and 23% said 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 most Bulgarian respondents (58%, but 11 percentage points below the EU average).
Knowledge of how to combat climate change varies
In the last sub-index, Bulgarian respondents scored 3.81/10 (well 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.
- Most Bulgarians (76%) know that using recyclable products can help mitigate climate change.
- 62% also correctly said that using public transport instead of an individual car is a step in the right direction.
- But only a minority (38%) seem to know that better insulating buildings can help mitigate climate change.
- For now, only a quarter of respondents (25%, 17 percentage points below the EU average) are aware that buying new clothes less frequently can help as well.
- Very few respondents (14%, 12 percentage points below the EU average) seem to know that reducing the speed limit on roads would help mitigate climate change.
- Finally, most Bulgarians are unaware of the significant impact that digital usage has on the climate, with only 5% saying that watching fewer videos online can help.
- Like in most countries in Europe, only a minority of Bulgarians (29%, 15 percentage points below the EU average) 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 climate bank, the EIB invests in key projects supporting Bulgaria's green transition. Over the last five years, the EIB Group has provided more than half a billion euros for climate change projects in Bulgaria. Examples include the expansion of the Sofia metro system to promote sustainable urban transport, working with municipalities across the country to increase energy efficiency and climate resilience, and working with partner banks to help small and medium-sized enterprises green their operations.
In 2023, the EIB financed the installation of 1,530 electric vehicle charging stations in the country to increase the market penetration of electric vehicles and fight air pollution. This year, the Bank signed an advisory agreement with the national energy company NEK to help it prepare the construction of two large pumped-storage hydropower plants, which will increase the stability of the power grid and allow for the integration of more renewable energy sources.
EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris: “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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