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 Romania, 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
- Romanian respondents scored 5.77/10, placing them well below 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) and Sweden (6.96/10).
- Overall knowledge gaps: Romanians have some awareness of the causes and consequences of climate change but lack knowledge about solutions. Similarly to the findings in most EU countries, a large share of Romanian respondents did not know that reducing speed limits on roads (80%) or better insulating buildings (65%) 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, Romanians scored far below the EU average (6.83/10 compared to 7.21/10).
- When it came to defining climate change, most Romanian respondents (70%) selected the correct definition (“A long-term shift in global climate patterns”), and only 5% believe that climate change is a hoax.
- Nearly three-quarters (72%) are also aware that the main causes of climate change are human activities such as deforestation, agriculture, industry and transport. Meanwhile, more than a quarter of the respondents believe otherwise, with 20% thinking it is caused by extreme natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and heatwaves, and 9% believing that climate change is caused by the ozone hole.
- When asked about the three biggest greenhouse gas emitters worldwide, most Romanians (64%, but 8 percentage points below the EU average) correctly selected the United States, China and India. However, over a third (36%) of respondents chose an answer that did not include China, indicating that they are not necessarily aware of it being among the top three emitters — let alone the main emitter — of CO2 globally.
How aware are people of the consequences of climate change?
When asked about the consequences of climate change, Romanians scored 6.90/10, well below the EU average of 7.65/10.
- 85% correctly said that climate change is worsening world hunger by affecting crop yields due to extreme weather.
- 68% 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, only 57% of Romanians correctly said that the global sea level is rising, but over four in ten respondents (43%) got it wrong: more specifically, 20% of respondents said that it is falling and 23% 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 (66%) of Romanian respondents.
Knowledge of how to combat climate change varies
In the last sub-index, Romanian respondents scored 3.59/10 compared to the EU average of 4.25/10, indicating that they have 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 places Romania last among the EU27.
- Most Romanians (69%) know that using recyclable products can help mitigate climate change.
- 64% also correctly said that using public transport instead of an individual car is a step in the right direction.
- But only a minority (35%, 9 percentage points below the EU average) seem to know that better insulating buildings can also help.
- For now, only a quarter of respondents (27%, 15 percentage points below the EU average) are aware that buying new clothes less frequently is another way to fight climate change.
- Very few respondents (20%, 6 percentage points below the EU average) seem to know that reducing the speed limit on roads would help mitigate climate change.
- Finally, most Romanians are unaware of the significant CO2 emissions related to digital usage, with only 6% saying that watching fewer videos online could help too.
- Like in most countries in Europe, only a minority of Romanians (34%) 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.”
The EIB is supporting climate change projects in Romania with sustainable investments. Under the InvestEU initiative, the EIB has signed a EUR 40 million loan with Eldrive to expand electric vehicle charging networks, including more than 8,400 new stations across Eastern Europe, boosting the uptake of electric vehicles and reducing air pollution. Also in Romania, the P3 Rooftop Solar PV Green Loan provides EUR 3 million for rooftop photovoltaic installations at logistics centres to generate clean solar electricity, reduce carbon emissions and support both national and EU 2030 climate goals.
EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris: “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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