- 70% of Irish people aged 20-29 say the climate impact of prospective employers is an important factor when job hunting, and 17% say it is even a top priority.
- 78% of Irish respondents are in favour of labelling all food to help limit the impact on climate and the environment.
- 61% say they would pay more for climate-friendly food.
- 65% are in favour of stricter government measures to impose a change in personal behaviour (75% of people under 30).
These are some of the results from the latest yearly EIB Climate Survey, conducted in August 2022 and published today. The EIB is the lending arm of the European Union and the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate action projects.
Individual behaviour and stricter government measures
The war in Ukraine and its consequences, including rising energy prices and inflation, have dramatically increased concerns about declining purchasing power in Ireland. However, climate change remains one of the top three biggest challenges according to most Irish respondents. Moreover, two-thirds of Irish people (69%, or 3 percentage points below the EU average) say they are convinced that their own behaviour can make a difference in addressing the climate emergency.
For many, the government has a role to play in encouraging individual behavioural change. Two-thirds of Irish respondents (65%) are in favour of stricter government measures imposing a change in people’s behaviour to tackle climate change (75% of respondents under 30 would welcome such measures).
Jobseeker priorities
A growing number of people entering the workforce each year are looking at employers’ climate credentials when job hunting. Most Irish respondents (64%) say it is important that prospective employers prioritise sustainability. For 14% of Irish people, it is even a top priority. This majority holds across the political spectrum and at all income levels. Of people aged 20 to 29 — typically those looking for their first or second job — more than two-thirds (70%) say that sustainability is an important factor in their choice of employer, and 17% say it is a top priority.
Capping individual consumption
A majority of Irish respondents (52%) say they would be in favour of a carbon budget system that would allocate each individual a fixed number of yearly credits to be spent on items with a big carbon footprint (non-essential goods, flights, meat, etc.). Nearly the same rate of British respondents (54%) share this opinion.
It is noteworthy that a majority of Irish people favour this measure regardless of income (54% of lower-income, 52% of middle-income, and over 51% of higher-income respondents). More people under 30 (63%) are in favour of introducing a carbon budget system than their elders, with only 49% of respondents over 30 supporting it.
Food labelling and pricing
Food production accounts for a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions. To help people make more sustainable choices when grocery shopping, 78% of Irish people are in favour of labelling all food products with their climate footprint. This is similar to the rate in the United Kingdom (77%), but 11 percentage points above the rate in the Netherlands (67%).
In addition, 61% of Irish respondents say they would be willing to pay slightly more for food that is produced locally and more sustainably (a similar level to British people, with 58%, but 9 percentage points more than Dutch people, with 52%). This willingness to pay more for food spans all income groups.
Reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products would be another efficient way to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Just under half of Irish respondents (47%) would be in favour of limiting the amount of meat and dairy products that people can buy (a similar share to British people, with 50%, and Dutch people, with 45%).
While opinions vary slightly among income groups (52% of lower-income, 47% of middle-income and 43% of higher-income respondents would be in favour of capping individual consumption of meat and dairy products), there is a clear generation gap, with 57% of people under 30 in favour, as opposed to only 42% of those over 65.
Background information
About the EIB Climate Survey
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has now performed the fifth annual EIB Climate Survey, a thorough assessment of how people feel about climate change. Conducted in partnership with the market research firm BVA, the fifth edition of the EIB Climate Survey aims to inform the broader debate on attitudes and expectations in terms of climate action. More than 28 000 respondents participated in the survey in August 2022, with a representative panel of people aged 15 and above 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. The EIB Group has adopted a 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.
EIB Global is the EIB Group’s new specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance. EIB Global is designed to foster strong, focused partnerships within Team Europe, alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the Group closer to local people, companies and institutions through our offices around the world.
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.