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 Poland, 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
- Polish respondents scored 5.87/10. Finland leads the scoreboard with 7.22/10, followed by Luxembourg (7.19/10) and Sweden (6.96/10).
- Generational gap: Poles over 50 know more than younger generations when it comes to the causes and consequences of climate change and solutions to address it.
- Overall knowledge gaps: Poles are 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 Polish respondents did not know that reducing speed limits on roads (87%) or better insulating buildings (63%) 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, Polish respondents scored 6.38/10.
- When it came to defining climate change, more than two-thirds (67%) of Polish respondents were able to do so correctly, and only 6% think that climate change is not a problem.
- Most Poles (65%) are also aware that the main causes of climate change are human activities such as deforestation, agriculture, industry and transport.
- Meanwhile, more than a third of the respondents believe otherwise, with 23% thinking it is caused by extreme natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and heatwaves, and 11% believing that climate change is caused by the ozone hole.
- When asked about the three biggest greenhouse gas emitters worldwide, most Poles (61%) 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, Poles scored 7.34/10.
- 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).
- 81% 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, 64% of Poles correctly said that the global sea level is rising, but over a third (36%) got it wrong: more specifically, 24% of respondents said that it is falling and 13% 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 two-thirds (67%) of Polish respondents.
Knowledge of how to combat climate change varies
In the last sub-index, Polish respondents scored 3.89/10, indicating insufficient 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 Poles (72%, the same as the EU average) know that using recyclable products can help mitigate climate change.
- 61% also correctly said that using public transport instead of an individual car is a step in the right direction.
- Only 37% believe that better insulating buildings can also help.
- For now, only half of respondents (48%, 6 percentage points above the EU average of 42%) are aware that buying new clothes less frequently is another way to fight climate change.
- Very few respondents (13%) seem to know that reducing the speed limit on roads would help mitigate climate change.
- Finally, most Poles, like many other EU citizens, are unaware of the significant CO2 emissions related to digital usage, with only 6% saying that watching fewer videos online could help as well.
- Like in most countries in Europe, only a minority of Poles (38%) 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. Poles over 50 know more than younger generations when it comes to the causes and consequences of climate change and solutions to address it, scoring 6.17/10 overall compared to 5.65/10 for people below 50. In some areas, this generational gap is significant.
In 2023, the European Investment Bank's green financing in Poland reached 52% out of a total investment of €5.1bn. Support for the Polish energy sector increased by 80% compared to 2022, reaching €1.78 billion. Of the €1.78 billion for energy transition, €610 million came partly through InvestEU to support the development of one of the world's largest wind farms (and the first in the Baltic Sea) by Baltic Power. Polish cities also received significant investment of €2.33 billion, including support for the development of clean transport - new tram lines in Krakow and Warsaw, new rolling stock in Wroclaw.
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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