EIB // 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, 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
- Scores: The European Union (score: 6.37/10) has come ahead of the United States (score: 5.38/10) in the latest EIB survey on knowledge about the causes and consequences of climate change and solutions to address it.
- Generational gap: Respondents over 30 in the European Union demonstrated greater knowledge of the causes and consequences of climate change compared to younger generations.
- Overall knowledge gaps: Respondents generally demonstrated a solid understanding of the causes and consequences of climate change. Meanwhile, awareness of solutions often lags behind. A significant share of respondents in the European Union (74%) and the United States (77%) were unaware of the benefits of reducing speed limits on roads. Additionally, 56% of European respondents and 60% of American respondents did not know that better insulating buildings can help combat climate change.
Generational divide in the European Union
Climate change knowledge varies by age. Respondents over 30 in the European Union scored higher overall (6.47/10) than those under 30 (5.99/10).
For example, 74% of respondents over 30 recognise the importance of recycling products, compared to 66% of younger respondents. There is a notable disparity in knowledge about the benefits of insulating buildings to combat climate change, with 48% of over 30s being aware of this, compared to only 30% of under 30s. 27% of those over 30 understand the climate benefits of reducing speed limits on roads, compared to just 20% of their younger counterparts.
Definitions and causes of climate change
On the definition and causes of climate change, respondents in the European Union (7.21/10) scored well above people in the United States (5.95/10).
Consequences of climate change
When asked about the consequences of climate change, respondents in the European Union scored 7.65/10. This is significantly higher than the score of Americans, which averaged 6.13/10.
Solutions to climate change
Respondents scored lower on their awareness of climate change solutions (4.25/10 in the European Union; 4.07/10 in the United States) than in the other two areas (causes and consequences of climate change).
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