International survey - Climate change: Older people in Germany know more about it
In Germany, according to a survey, older people are better informed about climate change than younger people. People over 50 years old are more familiar with the causes, consequences, and potential solutions of climate change than those under 50 years old, as shown in a survey published by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The survey was conducted on behalf of the EU bank by market research company BVA X-Sight. The difference is particularly noticeable in questions related to the definition and causes of climate change, it was stated.
This trend is consistent across all EU countries, with the exception of Italy and Luxembourg. In these countries, those under 50 years old scored higher in the climate change knowledge test than their older counterparts.
Germany in international comparison in the upper middle field
People in Germany rank slightly above the average in international comparison: Among the 27 EU countries, the Federal Republic ranks tenth with a score of 6.49 out of a possible 10 points. The people here thus have slightly more knowledge than the EU average (6.37 points). The best performers in the survey were Finland, Luxembourg, and Sweden. In comparison with all 35 countries, Germany ranks twelfth.
"Germans are aware of the causes and consequences of climate change but could improve their knowledge of solutions," the EIB stated. However, there is still room for improvement: According to the survey, 57% of the interviewees in Germany were not aware that speed limits on roads can contribute to climate change mitigation. And 47% were not aware that better insulated buildings can protect the climate. Therefore, Germany still ranks above the EU average, it was stated.
People in 35 countries were surveyed
For the survey, around 30,000 people were interviewed in the 27 EU countries, as well as in Great Britain, China, Canada, Japan, India, South Korea, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates in August and September of the previous year. The authors wanted to find out what climate change is, what the main causes are, and what consequences there are. For each question, there were various answer options. The participants were also asked to choose the correct measures for climate change mitigation from various options.
The European Investment Bank, based in Luxembourg, is the bank of the European Union and, according to its own statements, the largest multilateral financing institution in the world. Recently, it has been particularly active as a lender for climate protection and also for supporting Ukraine.
- Despite being an exception within the EU, the trend of older individuals having more climate change knowledge than younger ones does not hold true in Italy and Luxembourg.
- The European Investment Bank (EIB), located in Luxembourg, recently published a survey conducted by BVA X-Sight, which revealed that Germans have slightly more knowledge about climate change than the EU average.
- In the survey, participants from Luxembourg, along with Finland and Sweden, were among the top performers in terms of climate change knowledge.
- The survey, which involved approximately 30,000 individuals from 35 countries, including EU members, the United States, and China, aimed to understand the public's perception of climate change causes, consequences, and potential solutions.
- The EIB, being the bank of the EU and the largest multilateral financing institution worldwide, has been actively funding climate protection projects and supporting Ukraine's efforts.
