the environment towards Special Eurobarometer 365 Special Eurobarometer 365 / Wave EB75.2 TNS opinion & social This document of the authors.

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1 Special Eurobarometer 365 European Commission Attitudes of European citizens towards the environment REPORT Special Eurobarometer 365 / Wave TNS opinion & social Fieldwork: April-May 2011 Publication: August 2011 This survey has been requested by the Directorate-General for the Environment and co-ordinated by Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM Research and Speechwriting Unit) ). This document does not represent the point of view of the European Commission. The interpretations and opinions contained in it are solely those of the authors.

2 Special Eurobarometer 365 ATTITUDES OF EUROPEAN CITIZENS TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT Conducted by TNS Opinion & Social at the request of Directorate-General for the Environment Survey co-ordinated by Directorate-General Communication 1

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION... 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE ENVIRONMENT REALLY MATTERS TO EUROPEANS Environmental protection is very important for Europeans Environmental problems have a direct effect on Europeans daily lives And Europeans believe that they can play a role in protecting the environment But they also believe that big polluters should be mainly responsible for protecting the environment HOW EUROPEANS SEE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS General associations with the environment Main environmental concerns The state of the environment is very important to Europeans quality of life Environmental and social factors are both important in evaluating national progress EUROPEANS LINK THE EFFICIENT USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT TO ECONOMIC GROWTH A large majority of Europeans think that using natural resources efficiently can boost economic growth And a large majority also believe that protection of the environment can boost economic growth EFFORT IS NEEDED TO USE NATURAL RESOURCES MORE EFFICIENTLY Corporations and industry Citizens themselves National governments The European Union

4 5. EUROPEANS FAVOUR ACTION AT EU LEVEL TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT A majority of Europeans think that decisions concerning the environment should be made at EU level There is also a broad consensus on the necessity of European legislation on environmental matters allocating more EU funding for environmentally-friendly activities and developments The EU should assist non-eu countries to improve their environmental standards Introducing heavier fines for offenders is seen as the most effective way of tackling environmental problems MORE EFFICIENT USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES: GREENER ATTITUDES LEAD TO GREENER BEHAVIOUR Most Europeans are adopting measures to increase the efficiency of natural resource use Europeans believe that recycling and reducing their own energy consumption should be their priorities A large majority of Europeans are prepared to pay more for environmentally-friendly products Europeans are divided about the quality of information on green labelling National governments should favour green procurement INFORMATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IS INCREASINGLY AVAILABLE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION More Europeans feel well-informed about the environment in general European citizens lack information about some specific environmental issues Sources of information used Scientists and NGOs are the sources of information trusted the most by Europeans CONCLUSION ANNEXES Technical specifications Questionnaire Tables 3

5 INTRODUCTION The environment has long been a topic of global interest, and the latest Eurobarometer survey on the matter shows that it is still a major preoccupation for most Europeans. In recent months events such as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and the Fukushima nuclear accident have featured strongly in the headlines, and the media have discussed the extent to which human influence may have contributed to other natural disasters. Increasing pressure on natural resources has led to higher prices. Rising costs, together with the global financial crisis, have led many people to consider the importance of energy and other resources. Questions about the availability and cost of food have prompted debate on the nature of farming as well as the global water situation and fuel costs. The continued expansion of industry has also prompted discussion on pollution and excessive resource use was the International Year of Biodiversity, allowing a wide range of specific issues to achieve prominence at both a public and policy level. As the topic is linked to food consumption and production, this has led to further discussion on the way that agriculture impacts upon the environment. The EU's strategy for emerging from the economic crisis Europe 2020 contains important environmental components, and a central concern for sustainability. The strategy's flagship initiative for a resource-efficient Europe points the way towards sustainable growth, supporting a shift towards a low-resource use, low-carbon economy. This is clearly in tune with the findings of this latest survey, as a considerable majority of Europeans agree that the efficient use of natural resources can boost economic growth in the EU. The Europe 2020 targets are ambitious and news-worthy, so they are frequently communicated to citizens. The environmental issue is large and fragmented, touching on many areas which are central to citizens' lives, including the economy, energy, policy, quality of life, safety, resources and the media. The Commission needs to know how citizens understand the idea of the environment, and how they feel about related problems and crises, and the responses proposed, so this survey focuses on Europeans' perceptions of the concept of the environment, breaking down the topic into constituent parts. A number of factors were included in the questionnaire. Respondents were asked to consider whether the environment is important to them in general terms. They were also asked to state what first comes to mind when the topic was raised. Levels of trust were assessed, as well as the link between the environment and social and economic concerns. Respondents own actions in the face of environmental change were assessed, as well as their views on how the situation is being dealt with by various groups. They were also invited to share their views on a series of questions. 4

6 This survey was carried out by TNS Opinion & Social network in the 27 Member States of the European Union between 13 April and 8 May Some 26,825 respondents from different social and demographic groups were interviewed face-to-face at home in their mother tongue on behalf of DG Environment. The methodology used is that of Eurobarometer surveys as carried out by the Directorate General for Communication ( Research and Political Analysis Unit) 1.. A technical note on the manner in which interviews were conducted by the Institutes within the TNS Opinion & Social network is appended as an annex to this report. Also included are the interview methods and confidence intervals 2. ************** The Eurobarometer web site can be consulted at the following address: We would like to take the opportunity to thank all the respondents across the continent who gave their time to take part in this survey. Without their active participation, this study would not have been possible The results tables are included in the annex. It should be noted that the total of the percentages in the tables of this report may exceed 100% when the respondent has the possibility of giving several answers to the question. 5

7 Note In this summary report, the countries are represented by their official abbreviations. The abbreviations used in this summary report correspond to: ABREVIATIONS EU27 European Union - 27 Member States BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK Belgium Bulgaria Czech Republic Denmark Germany Estonia Ireland Greece Spain France Italy Republic of Cyprus Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Hungary Malta The Netherlands Austria Poland Portugal Romania Slovenia Slovakia Finland Sweden United Kingdom 6

8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Environment really matters to Europeans On the whole, 95% of EU citizens (-1 point since 2007) feel that protecting the environment is important to them personally. 76% of EU citizens (-2 points) believe that environmental problems have a direct impact on their everyday lives. 87% (-1 point) believe that they themselves can play a part in helping to protect the environment. 91% (+1 point) agree that the big polluters should be mainly responsible for helping to protect the environment. Concern over natural resource use is growing in the EU More than 3 EU citizens out of 10 cite using up natural resources when asked about the environment. When asked to consider what is meant by the term the environment, large-scale problems such as the protection of nature, the state of the environment for the next generation, pollution in towns and cities, man-made disasters and climate change are also mentioned. The biggest effects of environmental change were also seen as large-scale threatening issues man-made disasters (42%), water pollution (41%) and air pollution (36%). A significant proportion of Europeans also consider natural resource-related issues as important: depletion of natural resources and growing waste (both 33%). State of the environment is very important to Europeans quality of life 77% of respondents believe that the environment has an impact on their quality of life (- 3 points). Social factors (75%, -1) and economic factors (85%, +1) were also seen as influential here. Europeans strongly link the efficient use of natural resources to economic growth 83% of people believe that better use of resources can lead to economic growth in Europe. 77% believe that protection of the environment in general can lead to economic growth (+11 points). More needs to be done by citizens, industry and governments to use natural resources more effectively 69% of EU citizens believe that they themselves should use natural resources more effectively. 79% believe that corporations and industry should do the same; 72% think the same of national governments; 63% believe that the EU should do more. 7

9 Most consider that action to protect the environment should be carried out at a European level 64% of people believe that changes should be made at a European level. 81% support environmentally-focused legislation as a way to help solve the problem (-1 point). 79% believe that the EU should help to support non-eu countries in protecting the environment (-1 point). 89% think that more funding should be allocated to support protecting the environment. 36% of people think that fines for offenders are the best legislative means of protecting the environment. The second option chosen is the efficient use of natural resources, mentioned at the same level as greater incentives for those who contribute to protecting the environment and the supply of more information (26% each). More efficient use of natural resources: Greener attitudes lead to greener behaviour The most popular actions carried out by EU citizens - relating to environmental protection - concern the use of natural resources. There has been a clear overall rise in the efficient use of natural resources in the EU. Recycling is the most common of these actions, performed by 66% of Europeans (+7 points). This is followed by cutting down energy consumption (53%, +6) and cutting down water consumption (43%, +6). Reduction of waste is also popular (37%, +7). 72% of Europeans are willing to pay more for products which are environmentally friendly (-3 points). More than half of EU citizens say that their governments should favour green/ environmentally friendly procurement over cost-effective solutions (53% and 58% respectively). This is the case in nearly all Member States. Information on environmental issues is increasingly available in the European Union 60% of people feel that they are to some extent well-informed about the environment, a 5-point increase since the survey conducted in More information about environmental issues which affect individuals including resource use is desired. 73% of Europeans use the television news as their primary source of environmental information (+5 points). Internet use (31%, +7), however, is growing in popularity particularly among younger members of the population. Scientists and NGOs are the most trusted sources of information, cited by 40% and 37% of respondents respectively. 8

10 1. THE ENVIRONMENT REALLY MATTERS TO EUROPEANS Firstly, the survey analysed the general concept of the environment among Europeans. Is it considered to be an important issue? How is environmental change seen by citizens? And what do they think of when asked to consider the general topic of the environment? 1.1 Environmental protection is very important for Europeans When asked to consider how important the environment is to respondents personally, the response is overwhelmingly positive. 95% of citizens questioned believe that protecting the environment is important to them personally, with 58% of these stating that it is very important. Very few respondents indicated that protecting the environment is not important (5%). This shows that there is a broadly-felt and strong consensus on the importance of environmental protection in the European Union. 9

11 In almost every instance, with the exception of Austria and Finland, the number of people who believe that protecting the environment is very important to them outweighs the number of respondents who believe that it is fairly important. 89% of respondents in Cyprus responded that protecting the environment is very important to them personally, followed by 86% of respondents in Malta, 83% in Sweden and 80% in Slovenia. Cyprus and Malta return the highest number of important responses, with 100% of respondents indicating this. Bulgaria, Greece, Slovenia and Sweden return important scores of 98%. The lowest score comes in Austria, where 90% of respondents say that protecting the environment is a matter of personal importance. In all Member States of the EU, at least nine respondents out of ten consider the protection of the environment to be an important issue. 10

12 Analysing how attitudes have changed since the last survey wave indicates that the overall evaluation of the importance of the protection of the environment has remained stable (95%, -1 point). 11

13 The feeling that the environment needs to be protected has grown significantly in both Bulgaria (98%, +4 points) and Ireland (94%, +3). However, it has declined significantly in three countries of the European Union: Finland (93%, -4), the Czech Republic (95%, -3), and Poland (92%, -4). Looking at socio-demographic results, we can also say that there is a broad consensus in the answers to this question, with very few differences noticed between categories. 1.2 Environmental problems have a direct effect on Europeans daily lives A large majority of Europeans believe that their actions and the actions of organisations - can have a direct impact on the protection of the environment. Although there is strong support for the polluter pays principle, citizens also believe that they themselves can play a role in protecting the environment. More than three quarters of Europeans agree that environmental problems have a direct effect on their daily lives (76%). The results for this question have remained stable since 2007, with a slight non-significant decrease of 2 points (78%). 12

14 There are clear geographical distinctions to be found regarding the question of whether environmental problems have an impact on citizens daily lives. Although levels of agreement with this statement were generally high, with only seven Member States recording an agreement level of less than 70% and 14 recording levels of agreement below the average of 76%, there is a cluster to the right of the chart showing lower levels of agreement in the Northern and Western Member States. Denmark (50%), Sweden (60%), Luxembourg (61%) and Netherlands (65%) all record results lower than the European Union average, with no significant proportion of don t know answers. Respondents in Germany (68%), the UK (69%), Belgium (71%) and France (72%) also returned a lower agreement score than the European Union average. Cyprus (96%), Malta, Greece (both 94%) and Italy (92%) returned almost unanimous levels of agreement, with the other high scores coming from Member States located mainly geographically in the eastern and central parts of the continent. The exception to this is Ireland, with a relatively high score of 86% agreement. 13

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16 Compared to the last wave of analysis some Member States showed significant upward or downward shifts in levels of agreement. The most obvious of these shifts were towards disagreement, showing that there is an encouraging trend towards improvement in some Member States. This is particularly true in Portugal (23%, +15 points) and Slovakia (20%, +12), although the same can also be said of Spain (21%, +9), Estonia (25%, +9) Denmark (48%, +9, contributing to the very high total of disagree answers), and Latvia (31%, +8). In a few Member States the situation appears to have got worse, with Bulgaria (91%, +6), Romania (91%, +5), Finland (75%, +3) and Hungary (80%, +3) reporting the most significantly higher levels of agreement with the statement than in Age has a slight influence on respondents answers. Younger respondents are less likely to say that environmental problems have a direct effect on their daily lives: 71% vs. 79% of respondents aged Household composition affects also respondents answers. Those living alone recorded a score of 74% agreement, compared with 76% from two-person households, 79% from three-person households, and 77% from households of four and above. 15

17 1.3 And Europeans believe that they can play a role in protecting the environment This question dealt with individual responsibility for environmental protection. Overall, 87% of Europeans think that they can play a role in protecting the environment in their countries. Results have remained stable since 2007 with a slight increase of 1 point (86% in 2007). 16

18 Overall, ten individual Member States recorded higher than average responses. The highest levels of agreement came in the Netherlands (97%), Sweden, Ireland (both 96%) and Malta (95%), while the Czech Republic (73%), Latvia (74%) and Estonia (76%) recorded the lowest levels of agreement. Despite this, the lowest level of agreement was only 14 points below the average, leading again to fairly high levels of agreement from all Member States and no significant exceptions to this pattern. 17

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20 Again, there were some major changes in the answers given compared to the last wave of data. Once more, Bulgaria showed a trend towards change, with a 10-point rise in agreement with the statement (from 75% to 85%). Lithuania and Luxembourg also reported a significant increase in agreement (+7 and +6 respectively). There were some changes in the opposite direction too. Portugal and Greece both reported increasingly pessimistic responses, with a shift of -7 points towards disagreement with the statement. The level of education seems to influence the answers given to this question. The more educated the respondents are, the more likely they are to believe that they can play a role in protecting the environment. 90% of those who studied until the age of 20 or older think that they can play a role, whereas only 82% of those who left education before the age of 16 feel the same. Household composition also affects respondents answers. Those living alone recorded a score of 82% agreement, compared to 88% from households of three or more. Finally, occupation seems to play an interesting part. 91% of managers, 90% of the self-employed and 89% of white-collar employees think that they can play a role. Those results drop to 82% for retired respondents and 84% for the unemployed. 19

21 1.4 But they also believe that big polluters should be mainly responsible for protecting the environment The next question asked whether respondents agreed with the statement that it was the role of the big polluters, such as corporations and industry, to protect the environment. More than nine out of ten respondents believe that big polluters are responsible for protecting the environment (91%). Results have remained stable since 2007, with a slight increase of 1 point (from a score of 90% in 2007). 20

22 Although there were some changes in total levels of agreement, the overall average score of 91% was generated by generally high response levels. The lowest positive score was 84% agreement, from Greece only seven points below the average. Nearunanimous scores of more than 97% agreement came from eight Member States, with the Czech Republic (99%), Latvia and Bulgaria (98% each) at the top of the list. There is therefore a very high level of agreement across all 27 Member States that polluters should be held responsible. Greece (84%), Luxembourg, Denmark and Austria (all 86%) all reported slightly lower levels of agreement with the statement. 21

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24 There have been some significant evolutions since the last wave of analysis. Agreement with the statement increased sharply in Spain (+10), Ireland and, again, Bulgaria (+5). Agreement fell in a few Member States, although this was seen most obviously in Greece (-7). 23

25 2. HOW EUROPEANS SEE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS Next, the survey moved on to discussion of individual elements of environmental change and the global situations which are seen as the most important. As the environment is a topic which is frequently in the news, as well as ever-present in Europeans daily lives, it is important to understand which issues are at the forefront of citizens minds. 2.1 General associations with the environment This question asked respondents to say what comes to mind when people talk about "the environment" firstly as an initial response, and then naming the issues which are thought of following this. 17% of Europeans say that protecting nature is the first thing they think when people talk about the environment. This is followed by the state of the environment our children will inherit (14%), and pollution in towns and cities and climate change (both 13%). In terms of the evolution from the last set of results, the main differences are the increase in concern about the protection of nature (+5 points) and significant drops in the perceived importance of pollution in towns and cities (-9) and climate change (-6). Concern over the use of natural resources has gained 3 points, doubling the percentage for this response this survey returns a result of 6% compared to 3% in. Increases also occur in responses concerning the state of the environment our children will inherit from 12% in the last wave to 14% now, man-made disasters (8% to 9%) and the quality of life where respondents live (5% to 9%). Additionally, an experiment was conducted in order to explore the influence of changes in the exact wording of the items on the results. Among the list of possible answers for the question, half of the sample (split A) read protecting nature while the other half (split B) read protecting biodiversity. 24

26 When people talk about "the environment", which of the following do you think of first? And then? The most obvious result at the EU27 level is that the topics follow nearly the same order in split A and split B, with one very marked difference: the perception of the terms nature and biodiversity. The difference in wording of these terms puts nature as the top item (47%) in one split set of results and biodiversity near the very bottom of the other (20%). Since the rest of the items are worded identically, the only other item of note is that pollution in towns and cities is regarded as more of an obvious issue by the set of respondents who overlooked biodiversity and answered the state of the environment our children will inherit as the most immediate answer. This suggests that the human issue of how this generation acts, and how it will impact the next, is linked to the issue of how people currently make an impact upon urban environments. Newsworthy items such as climate change (Split A 40%, Split B 41%) and man-made disasters (39%, 41%) were also popular responses. The depletion of natural resources is also considered to be of significant importance (31%, 34%) an interesting finding, given that this is a general and high-profile response which relates in a number of different ways to other topics such as climate change. The personal issue of quality of life (33%, 37%) the very general term green and pleasant landscapes (28%, 31%), and events largely out of human control like earthquakes and floods (26%, 28%) were ranked around the middle and bottom of each table. 25

27 The Member State with the most highest percentage per item results is Austria, with high levels of concern shown for protecting nature (69%), man-made disasters (60%), use of natural resources (47%), and natural disasters (42%) each well above the EU27 average. In terms of the most popular topics, the protection of nature seems to be the greatest area of interest across the board this is the most popular response in 13 Member States. Man-made disasters, while recording relatively high levels of interest overall, were not the first-thought-of issue in any Member State. In the Benelux Member States, two of the Nordic countries (Finland and Denmark) and Latvia, the state of the environment that our children will inherit was the first topic identified. Climate change was the most popular answer in Sweden and the UK. Pollution in towns and cities was the first item thought of in Bulgaria, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia. 26

28 The use of natural resources divided opinion, with several countries returning scores which fell significantly either side of the average of 31%. It was of lesser concern in Bulgaria, Lithuania (both 18%) and Poland (21%). However, it was a key area of concern in Austria (47%), France (43%), Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium (all 37%). There are some interesting differences in terms of the socio-demographic split. In the case of gender, the depletion of natural resources is more likely to be mentioned by men than by women (34% vs. 29%). The age of the respondent has a significant impact on the answers citing the state of the environment our children will inherit. 47% of respondents aged gave this answer, whereas only 27% of respondents aged did the same. Conversely, pollution in town and cities tends to be more often mentioned by young respondents than older ones (42% of the group vs. 37% of the group). There are also significant differences regarding the answer earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters. 30% of the group mention this answer compared with 24% of the group. Education also has an impact upon the results. The more educated respondents are less likely to mention earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters. Only 20% of those who studied until the age of 20 or later mention this compared with 32% of those who left education before the age of 16. The reverse pattern can be observed for the item using up natural resources : the more educated respondents are more likely to mention this answer. Indeed, 39% of those who studied until the age of 20 or later cite this answer, while only 25% of those who left education before the age of 16 do so. 27

29 Nearly half of the respondents living in large towns answered pollution in towns and cities (46%). This proportion goes down to 34% among those living in rural areas. Climate change and the quality of life where they live are also mentioned more frequently by respondents living in urban areas than those living in rural ones. Respondents who live in a household of four or more people are more likely to say the state of the environment our children will inherit than those who live alone (43% vs. 37%). 2.2 Main environmental concerns In this section we look at the environmental issues that are of main concern to European citizens. The most popular responses relate to the direct impact of human activity on the environment at a global level. Man-made disasters returned the highest number of responses (42%) followed by water pollution (41%), indicating an overall concern about how industry affects the environment a concern which is almost certainly fuelled by global media stories, although (in the latter instance) one which can also apply on a personal level to people across the Member States who live in industrialised areas. The global issue of air pollution returned a score of 36%. The similarly broad issue of climate change and the more personal issue of the impact upon health of chemicals used in everyday products both gave scores of 34%. The depletion of resources and growing waste both returned scores of 33%, followed by natural disasters (31%) and agricultural pollution (25%). The lowest response was given to noise pollution (9%), with slightly higher responses going to the impact of current transport modes on the environment (14%) and then urban pollution (18%). The emotive issues of GM products in food and our consumption habits both returned scores of 19%. The table below shows these results, and how they have evolved since the previous survey. 28

30 Firstly, we can look at the evolution of the data compared to the previous survey wave. The most obvious change is that climate change is far less of an issue now than it was when the last wave was carried out - falling from 57% to 34%. There is no change in interest on this scale in the opposite direction for any of the other topics. However, our consumption habits now register a score of 19% compared to 11% in the last wave of analysis. It is essential to consider the close relationship between this topic and others in the list and the issue of natural resource depletion, which we have seen receiving increased levels of interest elsewhere in this report. 29

31 Two other such topics have increased in interest significantly since the last wave of analysis. Interest in the overall depletion of resources grew from 26% to 33% (+7 points), and growing waste rose to 33% from 24% (+9). These topics are both related to the matter of our consumption habits, suggesting that the focus is switching from large-scale global issues to the actions of citizens which cause them. This also reinforces the point that resource efficiency is of growing concern to European public opinion. The remaining responses on individual topics have remained relatively stable since the last wave of analysis. Man-made disasters (42% from 39%), the health impact of chemicals in products we use (34% from 32%), agricultural pollution (25% from 23%), urban problems (18% from 15%), transport problems (14% from 12%) and noise pollution (9% from 8%) all rose. The rest fell - including the contentious issue of genetically-modified organisms in farming, which declined by 1 point to 19%. The most common answer was man-made disasters, and we can see that there are some clear geographical groupings here. Colour-coded by response bands, the map shows a clustering of interest across western part of the European Union (with the exceptions of the UK and Ireland) with reduced levels of interest in the East and the more central and northern European Member States. 30

32 Interest levels in this particular topic fall below the average of 42% in Spain (38%) and Portugal (30%) among others, with Latvia and Lithuania showing the lowest levels of interest at 28% and 26% respectively. Interestingly, although there is a pattern when the results are mapped, the very highest levels of interest come from Member States which are quite widely geographically dispersed. Focusing on issues of resource efficiency, some interesting differences between Member States can be observed. The depletion of natural resources is a subject of concern for at least four respondents out of ten in the Netherlands (49%), Romania (41%), and Germany and France (both 40%). This topic is the first answer cited in the Netherlands. At the other end of the scale, less than a quarter of respondents say that they are worried about the depletion of natural resources in Poland (19%), Latvia (21%), Slovenia and Lithuania (both 22%) and Malta (23%). There are greater differences between Member States regarding the issue of growing waste. More than half the respondents say that it is a concern in Estonia (55%), Bulgaria and Poland (both 52%). It is the main environmental concern in these three Member States. On the other hand, this issue was only cited by 25% of respondents in Germany, 23% in Greece and 21% in Spain. 31

33 Looking at socio-demographic variables, we find further interesting differences on resource efficiency-related issues. Men are more likely than women to say that they are concerned about the depletion of natural resources (36% vs. 30%). There is little difference between men and women regarding growing waste and our consumption habits. There is a major difference on the question of the depletion of natural resources when analysed against level of education. 24% of those who finished their education aged 15 or under named it as a concern, compared to 33% of those who finished aged and 39% of those who finished aged 20+. This is also the case for our consumption habits, with 13% of respondents who left education before the age of 16 mentioning this item compared with 26% of those who studied until at least age 20. Interestingly, the same cannot be said of the issue of growing levels of waste. Respondents who say that they are well-informed about environmental issues are more likely than others to mention the depletion of natural resources (35% vs. 30%) and our consumption habits (21% vs. 17%). Access to information also played a vital part here 38% of respondents using the Internet every day mentioned the depletion of natural resources, compared to 31% of those who sometimes use the Internet and 26% of those who never use it. 32

34 2.3 The state of the environment is very important to Europeans quality of life We next analyse how the aspects of environmental protection, environmental action, information and efficient resource use affect individuals quality of life in the EU. The survey assessed how individuals thought the environment influenced their own life quality alongside other key factors. There was then an analysis of how steps can be taken to make improvements. Respondents were asked to say how individual organisations should act and what their roles should be. Europeans see economic factors as influential on their quality of life as they did in the last wave of analysis 85% in 2011 compared to 84% in Due to the ongoing effects of the financial crisis, economic factors remain the most important factor affecting the quality of life in Europe. Perhaps as a result of this, other factors declined in importance. However, even though the perceived impact of environmental factors on quality of life fell from 80% to 77% - they are still more influential than social factors (75% in 2011, 76% in 2007). 33

35 Citizens in many Member States in the south of Europe are very aware of the influence of the environment on their quality of life. This is noticeable in Greece (92% compared to the average of 77%), Cyprus (92%) and Malta (89%). The same can be said for the northern Member States 84% in Sweden, 83% in Denmark and 80% in Finland. 34

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37 At the European Union level, the influence of economic factors has remained stable with a slight increase of 1 point since the previous survey (from 84% to 85%). There are greater evolutions in individual Member States, such as Malta (+9 points), Bulgaria (+8), Ireland (+8) and Spain (+6). Significant decreases in the influence of economic factors were recorded in Portugal (88%, -4), Belgium (82%, -3) and Germany (75%, -3). In Greece, where 99% of respondents believe that economic factors influence their quality of life, the figure relating to environmental influence has actually fallen by -6 points since the last survey. This same applies in Cyprus, where 97% feel that economic factors are influential, and where the score for environmental factors has fallen by 3 points. There is in fact a general trend in many Member States towards a sense that environmental factors play less of a role in the quality of life than they did in the last wave of analysis, with an average evolution of -3 points. Key exceptions to this are upward evolutions of +6 points in Bulgaria and +4 points in Hungary. The largest downward evolutions were recorded in Portugal a decrease of -18 points to 72% - and Latvia, where a 13-point decline made this the lowest-scoring Member State on the list with 67%. Nevertheless, despite the economic crisis, the importance of the environment in Europeans lives has declined only very slightly, and is still at a level comparable to social factors. The results for the influence of social factors are stable at EU level, with a slight decrease of 1 point. However, there are some marked evolutions in national results. The influence of social factors has grown in Bulgaria (89%, +7) and Ireland (78%, +6). This influence is significantly lower in Portugal (77%, -8), Belgium (76%, -6), Luxembourg (68%, -6), Latvia (82%, -5) and Estonia (78%, -5). The socio-demographic analysis reveals no major differences. The only factor that seems to play a part is education: 74% of the respondents who left education before the age of 16 think that the environment influences their quality of life, compared with 81% of those who studied until the age of 20 or later. However, it is important to note that education affects the perception of both economic and social factors. The longer respondents spent in education, the more likely they are to say that these factors affect their quality of life. 36

38 2.4 Environmental and social factors are both important in evaluating national progress The next section considers how progress should be measured. We have seen that there are a number of key issues relating to the environment which are considered important some relating to social issues. How should Europeans mark their own progress in the face of environmental change? A majority of Europeans believe that progress should be measured equally on social, environmental and economic criteria (55%). A high proportion of Europeans also think that it should mostly be evaluated just on social and environmental criteria (18% compared with 15% who believe it should be evaluated on economic criteria). A significant proportion of respondents were unable to answer the question (12%). 37

39 There was a strong trend in every Member State towards the position that progress should be evaluated on social/environmental and economic criteria. However there was some support for either one or the other set of criteria in certain Member States. 25% of respondents in Sweden believe that progress should be measured in social/environmental terms alone, compared to 12% who believe that progress should be measured in economic terms. 23% of respondents in Austria opted for the former while 14% preferred the latter. Correspondingly, 10% of respondents in Lithuania opted for evaluation on social/environmental criteria compared to 17% who opted for economic evaluation. And 10% of Romanian respondents believe that progress should be measured in social/environmental terms, compared to 22% who believe that it should be evaluated on economic criteria. There are few differences between socio-demographic categories for this question, with a majority of respondents consistently giving the middle option progress should be evaluated equally on social and environmental and economic criteria. The differences between socio-demographic groups mainly concern the levels of don t know answers to the question. Women are more likely to respond with a don t know answer to this question than men: 14%, compared with 9% of male respondents. Respondents aged 55 years old or more are more likely to answer that they don t know than the other age categories (16% vs. 8% of the 25-39, 10% of the and 11% of the 15-24). The level of education is the most discriminating criterion for this question. Only 5% of the respondents who studied until the age of 20 or later answer that they don t know, compared with 22% of those who left school before the age of

40 3. EUROPEANS LINK THE EFFICIENT USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT TO ECONOMIC GROWTH Natural resource use is key to the topic of environmental change, and links to a variety of different issues energy use, consumption, economics, pollution and sustainability are a few of these. Resource use also ties closely in with the financial situation of Europeans both at a national and an individual level. As a result it is an essential aspect for consideration. The following questions address the question of whether or not the effective use of resources and environmental protection can have a positive impact on the European economy. 3.1 A large majority of Europeans think that using natural resources efficiently can boost economic growth Firstly, respondents were asked to consider whether or not resource use could have an impact on European economic growth. There was widespread agreement that the efficient use of natural resources could boost economic growth in the EU. 83% of respondents agreed, while 10% disagreed and 7% did not know. 39

41 In individual Member States, levels of support were high across the board, with the lowest level recorded Finland (67%) and all other countries reporting a score of 75% or above. The highest levels of support came in Cyprus (93%), Greece (92%), Slovakia and Bulgaria (91%) and Malta (90%). In 14 Member States more than 85% of respondents agreed with this statement. 40

42 Respondents educated until the age of 20 or later are more likely than those who left school before the age of 16 to say that the efficient use of natural resources can boost economic growth in the EU (87% vs. 77%). This difference is not due to the fact that they disagree in the majority, but because a higher proportion of respondents who ended their education before the age of 16 were unable to answer this question than those who studied until the age of 20 or later (13% vs. 3%). There is also a significant difference between those who live alone and respondents living in a household composed of more than three people (78% vs. 86%). Internet users are also more likely to agree with this statement than non-internet users: 86% of those who use the Internet every day agreed, compared to 79% of respondents who never use it. Finally, 86% of respondents who say that they are well-informed about the environment think that the efficient use of natural resources can boost economic growth in the EU, compared to 79% of those who do not think themselves wellinformed. 41

43 Therefore, we can say that level of education and access to information are factors influencing the belief that the efficient use of natural resources can boost economic growth. 3.2 And a large majority also believe that protection of the environment can boost economic growth The next question considered the impact of environmental protection more generally upon growth. Support for the idea that the protection of the environment can boost economic growth in the EU has grown considerably since the last wave of analysis in Currently, 77% of respondents believe that this is the case, with 16% disagreeing and 7% saying that they don t know. This can be compared with the results from the last survey, when 66% of respondents agreed with the statement, 18% disagreed and a much higher 16% of respondents did not answer. There has thus been a positive evolution, with an 11-point rise in agreement that there is a link between protection of the environment and economic growth. At a time of economic crisis, it is interesting to note a trend towards the belief that the protection of the environment is an asset which can boost the economy. 42

44 Support for this statement grew across the majority of the Member States with the exception of Finland and France, where it fell very slightly - by 1 point. However, in France the total level of support was still above the EU27 average (78% compared to 77%). 70% of respondents from Finland agreed. In six Member States, evolutions in excess of 15 points were recorded: Ireland (85%, +29), Bulgaria (84%, +22), Romania (74%, +18), Latvia (67%, +18), Italy (87%, +16) and Estonia (64%, +16). 43

45 Analysis of the socio-demographic groups reveals the same differences as observed for the use of natural resources. The level of education, household size and Internet use are interesting variables in the analysis of these results. Respondents who studied until the age of 20 or later are more likely to say that the protection of the environment can boost economic growth in the EU than those who left education before the age of 16 (80% vs. 73%). The differences between the two categories are mostly due to the rate of don t know answers: 13% of respondents who left school before the age of 16 could not answer this question, compared with only 4% of those who studied until the age of 20 or later. Interestingly, urbanisation plays a slight role in the answer to this question. 79% of respondents from large towns say that they agree that protection of the environment can boost the economy, compared to 74% of respondents from rural areas. 44

46 4. EFFORT IS NEEDED TO USE NATURAL RESOURCES MORE EFFICIENTLY The section addresses the opinions of Europeans about the action being taken by governments, corporations and industry, and individuals to use natural resources efficiently 3. The overall results show that Europeans believe that businesses, governments and citizens should do more to increase and improve efficient use of natural resources. The efficient use of natural resources is central to the topic of consumption. We have already seen in this report that there is widespread agreement that citizens should be doing more to help the environment. We have also seen that, despite believing that the main polluters should be held responsible, respondents also say that citizens have an obligation to do the same. This belief is reflected in this question. 69% of respondents say that citizens are not using natural resources efficiently enough. This can be compared to 79% who think that corporations do not do enough and 72% who feel the same about governments. 63% say that the EU is not doing enough giving it the lowest negative score of the three, although not the highest positive, as there is a significant percentage (12%) of respondents who could not answer the question. 3 QB17. In your opinion, are each of the following currently doing too much, doing about the right amount, or not doing enough to use natural resources efficiently? 1. Corporations and industry; 2. Citizens themselves; 3. The (NATIONALITY) Government; 4. The European Union 45

47 4.1 Corporations and industry Around eight out of ten EU citizens say that corporations and industry are not doing enough to use natural resources efficiently (79%). Only 14% believe that they are doing about the right amount and a very few respondents say that they are doing too much (2%). The general feeling in most Member States is that more needs to be done by corporations and industry to use natural resources more effectively. This impression is especially widespread in Greece (92%), Spain (89%), Slovenia (89%) and Austria (86%). More than 85% of respondents in all these four countries say that they are not doing enough. The lowest results can be found in Denmark and Portugal where, nevertheless, 71% of respondents think that they are not doing enough. 46

48 The most positive answers to this question were recorded in the Nordic Member States and in Germany, where at least two out of ten respondents think that corporations or industries are doing about the right amount: Denmark (24%), Sweden (22%), Germany and Finland (20% each). 4.2 Citizens themselves Around seven out of ten Europeans say that citizens themselves are not doing enough to use natural resources efficiently (69%). Only 25% believe that they are doing enough, and very few respondents feel that they are doing too much (2%). Overall, the results for the actions of citizens to preserve natural resources were more positive than the results for corporations. There is a sharp difference between the highest positive score from an individual Member State (Germany, 38%) and the lowest (Bulgaria, 8%). 47

49 Level of education influences the view that citizens are not doing enough. 65% of the respondents who finished their education at the age of 15 or younger believe that citizens could do more, compared with 68% of those who finished between the ages of 16 and 19, and 74% of those who finished aged 20 or older. 72% of current students said the same. There may be a number of contributory factors to this. It is possible that the bettereducated respondents are more aware of the options available to citizens, since resource uses touches on a number of topics which are commonly studied in depth at a later stage in education. The slightly lower response from current students could be due to the personal financial implications of individual environmental actions some of which are difficult to achieve for those in full-time study. 48