The second part of the 2021-2022 EIB Climate Survey explores people’s views on climate change in a rapidly changing world. The results from this release focus on citizens’ individual behaviour and the actions they are taking to combat climate change.
- 82% of Italians feel they are doing all they can to fight climate change in their daily lives, but the majority believe that others are not doing the same
- Only 22% of Italian car buyers would opt for a petrol or diesel car next time they purchase a vehicle while 78% say they will choose either a hybrid or electric car
- 76% of young Italian people say they consider climate change when choosing a holiday destination. Yet the majority of them still plan to fly next summer
- 74% of Italians say they take the issue of climate change into account when voting
- 65% of young Italian people consider climate change when looking for a job
- 44% of young Italian people already buy second-hand clothes instead of new ones
These are some of the results from the second release of the 2021-2022 Climate Survey 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.
Purchases of hybrid and electric cars will soon overtake those of petrol or diesel vehicles
When asked about future car purchases, 78% of Italian car buyers say they will either purchase a hybrid or electric car. This figure is 56 points higher than the percentage of Italians who said they would buy a diesel or petrol vehicle (22%). More specifically, 51% would choose a hybrid vehicle and 27% would opt for an electric vehicle.
Italian car buyers older than 65 are particularly interested in buying a hybrid vehicle (61%), while younger respondents (15-29 year-olds) consider a petrol/diesel vehicle to be the least favourable option (25%). Young Italians are far more likely to choose an electric vehicle (39%) or a hybrid one (36%) instead.
Only a small minority of the overall Italian population (6%) say they do not have a vehicle now and are not planning to buy one, seven points below the European average of 13%.
Overall, Italians, like Spaniards, seem more inclined to switch to new car technologies compared to other EU countries, where the switch is less marked. 78% of Italians say they will purchase either a hybrid or an electric car for their next vehicle, similar to the figure for Spanish car buyers (78%). In contrast, 61% of French people and 52% of Germans would choose a hybrid or electric car.
More specifically, Italians seem most inclined to choose hybrid vehicles, with 51% of car buyers stating their next car will have this type of engine. This is 23 points higher than the figure for Germans (28%), 13 points higher than the figure for French people (38%) and six points higher than the figure for Spaniards (45%).
Italian car buyers (27%) are in favour of electric cars when asked about purchasing their next vehicle, albeit less so than Spaniards (34%). Germans (23%) and French people (23%) seem to have more reservations about buying an electric car.
In general, European car buyers tend to favour hybrid vehicles (39%), while petrol or diesel vehicles are ranked second (33%) and electric cars come third (28% state they would purchase an electric car). While Chinese car buyers are the most inclined to buy an electric car (44%), Americans would opt first for a hybrid vehicle (38%), followed by a petrol or diesel vehicle (33%), then an electric car (29%).
Climate protection versus flying for holidays
75% of Italians say they consider climate protection when choosing their holiday destination (eight points above the European average of 67%). However, a majority of young people (57%, compared to 39% for people aged 30-64 and 23% for people aged 65 and above) say they will fly for their summer holidays in 2022. Nearly one-third of young people (29%, compared to 18% for people aged 30-64 and 11% for people aged 65 and above) say they will fly to a faraway destination.
Shopping for clothes, choosing a job, deciding on a bank: how climate considerations affect people’s decisions
34% of Italians say they buy second-hand clothes instead of new ones (eight points below the European average). Women are slightly more likely to do so than men (36% for women vs. 32% for men). This practice is particularly popular amongst 15-29 year-olds (44%), while the figure drops 25 points for people older than 65 (19%).
50% of Italian people consider climate change when searching for a job. This is particularly the case for 15-29 year-olds. 65% of young people take climate change into consideration when job hunting, compared to 50% for people aged 30-64 (15 points lower).
Overall, 54% of Italian people consider climate change when they choose their bank or invest their savings. This figure is higher among Italian people between 15-29 year-olds (60%), and decreases with age (53% for people aged 30-64 years and for people above 65).
EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti said: “Despite some clear generational gaps, Italian people are increasingly changing their consumption habits and behaviour in a more responsible and sustainable manner to tackle climate change. These changes in individual behaviour show that people of all ages are willing to make stronger commitments in their daily lives to help mitigate the climate crisis. These phenomena were voiced during COP26 and are a clear indicator that we need to further our efforts to support the green transition. As the EU climate bank, the role of the EIB is to finance projects that focus on clean energy, energy savings, sustainable mobility solutions and innovations that will help limit the rise in temperature to 1.5°C or less.”
Download the Excel spreadsheet with the raw data for all 30 countries surveyed here. Please click here to access an EIB webpage presenting key findings of the EIB Climate Survey IV.
Background information
About the EIB Climate Survey
The European Investment Bank has launched the fourth edition of the EIB Climate Survey, a thorough assessment of how people feel about climate change. Conducted in partnership with market research firm BVA, the fourth edition of the EIB Climate Survey aims to inform the broader debate on attitudes and expectations in terms of climate action. More than 30 000 respondents participated in the survey between 26 August and 22 September 2021, with a representative panel for each of the 30 countries polled.
About the European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union and is owned by the EU Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals both in Europe and beyond. The European Investment Bank is active in around 160 countries and is the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate action projects. The EIB Group has recently adopted its Climate Bank Roadmap to deliver on its ambitious agenda to support €1 trillion of climate action and environmental sustainability investments in the decade to 2030 and to deliver more than 50% of EIB finance for climate action and environmental sustainability by 2025. As part of the roadmap, all new EIB Group operations have also been aligned with the goals and principles of the Paris Agreement since the start of 2021.
About BVA
BVA is an opinion research and consulting firm recognised as one of the most innovative market research firms in its sector. Specialised 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.