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 Sweden, 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
- Swedes rank third in the EU27 (score of 6.96/10), placing them well 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). Sweden ranks immediately after Luxembourg and ahead of Portugal in a knowledge test on the causes and consequences of climate change and solutions to address it.
- Overall knowledge gaps: Swedes are well 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 Swedish respondents did not know that reducing speed limits on roads (72%) or better insulating buildings (64%) can help combat climate change.
- Generational gap: 20- to 29-year-olds know less than people over 30 when it comes to the causes and consequences of climate change and solutions to address it, scoring 6.42/10 overall compared to 7.10/10 for people over 30.
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, Swedes scored well above the EU average (7.89/10 compared to 7.21/10), ranking third in the European Union.
- When it came to defining climate change, most Swedish respondents (82%) selected the correct definition (“A long-term shift in global climate patterns”), while only 6% believe that climate change is a hoax.
- Over three-quarters (78%) are also aware that the main causes of climate change are human activities such as deforestation, agriculture, industry and transport. Meanwhile, a quarter of the respondents believe otherwise (15% thinking it is caused by extreme natural phenomena, such as volcanic eruptions and heatwaves, and 7% believing that climate change is caused by the ozone hole).
- When asked about the three biggest greenhouse gas emitters worldwide, most Swedes (77%) 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, Swedes scored 7.99/10 (ranking seventh in the European Union), above the EU average of 7.65/10.
- 88% also correctly said that climate change is worsening world hunger by affecting crop yields due to extreme weather.
- 81% 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).
- Regarding the impact of climate change on sea levels, 76% of Swedes correctly said that the global sea level is rising, but a quarter (24%) got it wrong: more specifically, 12% of respondents said that it is falling and 12% 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 (75%) of Swedish respondents.
Knowledge of how to combat climate change varies
In the last sub-index, Swedish respondents scored 5.00/10, 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 still places Sweden third out of 27 EU countries.
- Most Swedes (77%, 5 percentage points above the EU average) know that using recyclable products can help fight climate change.
- 74% (9 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.
- Similarly, most respondents (61%, 19 percentage points above the EU average) are aware that buying new clothes less frequently is a way to mitigate climate change too.
- But only a minority (36%, 8 percentage points below the EU average) seem to know that better insulating buildings can also help.
- Less than a third (28%) of respondents know that reducing the speed limit on roads can help mitigate climate change.
- Finally, most Swedes are unaware of the significant impact that digital usage has on the climate, with only 6% saying that watching fewer videos online can help to mitigate climate change.
- Unlike in most countries in Europe, most Swedes (61%) 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. Respondents aged 20-29 in Sweden scored lower than people over 30 (overall score of 6.42/10 compared to 7.10/10, respectively). In some areas, this generational gap in knowledge is significant.
- There is a particularly significant generational gap in people’s understanding of the definition and causes of climate change (7.22 for people aged 20-29 compared to 8.06 for people over 30).
- This gap is also notable on the second sub-index about the consequences of climate change (7.53 for people aged 20-29 compared to 8.15 for people over 30).
- The difference in scores is also significant when it comes to what can be done to fight climate change (4.09 for people aged 20-29 compared to 4.52 for people over 30).
As the EU's financing arm, the European Investment Bank (EIB) is investing in key projects in Sweden, reinforcing its position as the Climate Bank and supporting the country's green transition. In 2023, the EIB signed new financing contracts worth €2.91 billion for Sweden, with 77% of the funds earmarked for climate action and environmental sustainability. Recent examples include investments in battery factories, green steel, solar cells, electric vehicles and social housing.
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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