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 Greece, 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
- Greek respondents scored 6.39/10 on average, placing them close to 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: Greeks are mostly 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 Greek respondents did not know that reducing speed limits on roads (80%) or better insulating buildings (57%) 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, Greeks scored slightly below the EU average (7.05/10 compared to 7.21/10).
- When it came to defining climate change, most Greek respondents (68%) selected the correct definition (“A long-term shift in global climate patterns”), while 6% believe that climate change is a hoax.
- Four in five (80%) are also aware that the main causes of climate change are human activities such as deforestation, agriculture, industry and transport. Meanwhile, few respondents believe otherwise (11% thinking it is caused by extreme natural phenomena, such as volcanic eruptions and heatwaves, and 8% believing that climate change is caused by the ozone hole).
- When asked about the three biggest greenhouse gas emitters worldwide, nearly two-thirds of Greeks (64%) 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, Greeks scored 8.04/10, well above the EU average (7.65/10).
- 87% 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).
- 88% 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, 72% of Greeks correctly said that the global sea level is rising, but nearly a third (28%) got it wrong: more specifically, 14% 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 three-quarters (74%) of Greek respondents.
Knowledge of how to combat climate change varies
In the last sub-index, Greek respondents scored 4.08/10 (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.
- Most Greeks (78%, 6 percentage points above the EU average) know that using recyclable products can help mitigate climate change.
- 70% (5 percentage points above the EU average) also correctly said that using public transport instead of an individual car is a step in the right direction.
- But only a minority (43%) know that better insulating buildings can help too.
- For now, less than a third of respondents (28%, 14 percentage points below the EU average) are aware that buying new clothes less frequently can help fight climate change.
- Only a fifth of respondents (20%, 6 percentage points below the EU average) seem to know that reducing the speed limit on roads would help.
- Finally, most Greeks are unaware of the significant impact that digital usage has on the climate, with only 4% saying that watching fewer videos online can contribute to the fight against climate change.
- Like in most countries in Europe, only a minority of Greeks (33%) 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 invests in major projects in Greece that advance its position as the Climate Bank. For example in the last 12 months, the EIB's commitment to projects that contribute to the fight against climate change and support environmental sustainability reached €810 million in Greece. As part of its commitment to REPowerEU, the EIB also signed loans to Greek energy network operators – with IPTO for €524 million, and a further €150 million to HEDO. These projects drive the energy transition and improve efficiency, as does the €400 million to Metlen to accelerate the development and deployment of solar photovoltaic parks and battery energy storage across Greece, backing the growing share of renewables in the country’s energy and electricity network.
EIB Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris: “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 in Greece, as well as across the European Union. 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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