75% of Europeans are more concerned about the climate crisis than their governments: Survey

The European Investment Bank published a survey on Wednesday showing that a majority of European Union citizens believe their governments will fail to tackle climate change, which Europeans see as the biggest challenge humanity faces in the 21st century.

In the EIB's climate survey of 27,700 respondents in 27 EU countries, 58 per cent of respondents believed that their countries would fail to drastically cut CO2 emissions by 2050.

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However, EU citizens' lack of confidence in their governments' climate credentials contrasts with their own support for tougher policies.

70 per cent of EU respondents said they supported measures to reduce emissions by imposing changes on people's behaviour.

87 per cent of respondents said they would either completely or somewhat support the replacement of short-haul flights with trains, while 69 per cent said they would support a tax on polluting products.

Furthermore, 81 per cent of European Union citizens believe climate change is the biggest challenge humanity faces this century, and 75 per cent say they are more concerned about the climate crisis than their governments.

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This poll was conducted after the devastating wildfires and fatal floods in August and September highlighted the reality of climate change for many Europeans.

With COP26, the UN climate summit in Scotland beginning on Sunday, Ambroise Fayolle, Vice-President of EIB, said that these demands from the public are a clear mandate for them to strengthen their efforts and give momentum to the green transition.

Among the world's largest economies, the European Union has set some of the most ambitious climate goals. The bloc has legally committed to reduce its net emissions to zero by 2050 and rapidly reduce them this decade.

Even though these goals apply to the EU's overall emissions, EU countries, including Denmark, France, Germany and Ireland, have also set their own national net-zero emissions goals.

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EU policymakers are negotiating new measures to deliver its climate goals, including higher taxes on polluting fuels and a new carbon market - proposals facing resistance from some countries that fear a public backlash to measures that would increase costs for households.

Policymakers in the EU are negotiating new measures to achieve these climate goals. The new measures will include higher taxes on polluting fuels and a new carbon market. However, the proposals are facing resistance from some countries which fear a negative reaction from the public on measures that could increase household costs.