The European Investment Bank (EIB) today launched the sixth edition of its Climate Survey. These are some of the most striking results of this annual survey conducted in August and September 2023. Running since 2018, the EIB Climate Survey offers insights into the climate change-related views of people in major economies around the world, with more than 30 000 respondents in the European Union, the United States, China, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, UAE, Canada and South Korea. The EIB is the lending arm of the European Union and the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate action projects.
After another challenging year marked not only by inflation, but also by record heatwaves and droughts, Romanian respondents have become more acutely aware of the profound impact of climate change and the need for immediate action in Romania and around the world, according to the results of the EIB Climate Survey. While the rising cost of living is considered by far the number one challenge[1] for respondents (78% place it in the top three concerns for their country, 8 points above the EU average), followed by income inequalities (46%), climate change impacts and environmental degradation are a close third, with 45% considering them a major concern (5 points above the EU average).
Demand for a just transition at home and in affected countries
With respondents ranking income inequalities as the second most significant major challenge after inflation, most Romanians are calling for fair policies to address the climate emergency. 65% (3 points below the average in the European Union) say the transition to a low-carbon economy can only happen if social and economic inequalities are addressed at the same time.
However, only 33% of respondents say they are confident in the government’s ability to carry out such a just climate transition.
On the question of compensation to developing countries to help them deal with the impacts of climate change — expected to be a central issue at the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai (COP28) — most Romanian respondents are in favour of extending aid beyond their borders to support countries most vulnerable to climate change and ensure a globally just transition to a climate-neutral and resilient future.
60% of respondents (in line with the EU average) agree that the country should financially compensate affected nations to help them fight climate change.
Taxes to support a just transition
Survey results show that 66% of Romanian respondents (7 points above the EU average of 59%) would be willing to pay more income tax to help lower-income households cope with the costs of a green transition. 54% would agree to pay an extra 1-2% of their income and 13% would agree to an extra 5-10%.
The vast majority of respondents said they would also be in favour of other kinds of climate-related policies. For example, 78% said they would favour a fossil fuel tax reform to eliminate subsidies and tax breaks for the aviation sector and other industries that rely heavily on fossil fuels.
Comments from EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris:
“The latest EIB Climate Survey underlines Romanians’ profound awareness of climate change and their commitment to tackle it head on. They recognise that a successful transition to a climate-neutral world goes hand in hand with addressing social and economic inequalities at home and globally. At the European Investment Bank, we are fully committed to supporting a just transition that leaves no one behind. Solidarity and actionable measures are more important now than ever.”
[1] Respondents had to select the three challenges they consider the biggest for their country from a shuffled list of ten challenges: Increased cost of living, unemployment, climate change, environmental degradation, political instability, income inequalities, access to healthcare, large-scale migrations, cyberattacks, and terrorism.