- 75% think climate policies will improve their quality of life
- 60% believe green policies will increase their purchasing power
- 75% say that the green transition will be a source of economic growth
- 73% believe policies to tackle climate change will create more jobs than they eliminate
- 30% expect to have to move to another region or country in the future because of climate change — this figure increases to 52% among people aged 20-29
- 34% fear they could lose their job because it will become incompatible with the need to mitigate climate change — this figure is 56% among 20-29 year-olds
These are some of the results from the latest release of the 2021-2022 Climate Survey conducted in September 2021 and 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.
Better quality of life despite less purchasing power
Are policies to tackle climate change good news for the economy? The majority of Italians would agree: 75% say the green transition will be a source of economic growth (above the EU average of 56%).
75% of Italian respondents also believe that their quality of life will improve, with a positive impact on the quality of their food and their health. Policies that address the climate emergency are also seen as good news for the job market: nearly three-quarters of Italian respondents (73%) believe these will have a net positive impact on employment levels within the country, creating more jobs than they eliminate.
In addition, 60% believe that green policies will increase their purchasing power, 22 points higher than the EU average of 38%.
Migration to other regions and changing jobs
According to Italians, the challenges related to climate change are here to stay. While more than one-third (37%) of them believe that the climate emergency will be under control by 2050, 61% feel that it will still be a serious issue by mid-century.
Italian respondents are concerned that climate change will threaten their place of residence. When asked about the longer-term impact of the climate crisis, nearly one-third of Italian people (30%) expect to have to move to another region or country because of climate change. This concern is much stronger among people in their twenties, with half of respondents aged 20-29 (52%) saying they are worried about the possibility of needing to move due to climate issues.
Lifestyle adaptations in the long term
Italians are conscious of the behavioural shifts that need to occur to tackle climate change. According to them, individual lifestyle changes that reduce carbon emissions will gain significant traction in the next 20 years. One-third of respondents (31%) believe that most people will no longer own a car in 20 years and 64% think that the majority of us will be working from home to contribute to the fight against climate change. Lastly, almost half (42%) of respondents think most people will have adopted a plant-based diet and 54% predict that an energy quota will be allocated to each individual (six points above the European average of 48%).
A global comparison: Differences between EU, British, American and Chinese respondents
Overall, Europeans are divided on whether the green transition will be a source of economic growth. More than half of respondents (56%) believe it will be the case, in line with the perception of Americans and British people (57%), while Chinese people are more optimistic (67%). However, the majority of Europeans (61%) are confident that their quality of life will improve, with a positive impact on the quality of their food and their health. Europeans are less pessimistic compared to Chinese people (77%), Americans (65%) and British people (63%).
EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti said: “Italians are among the most optimistic in Europe when it comes to the effects of policies addressing the climate emergency. They clearly see both quality of life and the job market being impacted positively by the green transition in the future. But they are also concerned about the long-term impact of climate change, and the younger generations in particular anticipate major changes in their way of living. As the EU climate bank, it is our responsibility to address these concerns by working with the public and private sector to finance a resilient low-carbon transition, while ensuring no one is left behind.”
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.
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 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 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.