07/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/07/2024 23:03
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 in Croatia, 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.
The first sub-index focuses on the definition and causes of climate change. In this area, Croats scored 7.21/10 (equal to the EU average), ranking 13th in the European Union.
When asked about the consequences of climate change, Croats scored 8.63/10 (ranking second in the European Union), far above the EU average of 7.65/10.
In the last sub-index, Croatian respondents scored 4.49/10, above the EU average of 4.25/10 but still indicating that they have significantly less knowledge of actions that can help mitigate climate change compared to the other two areas investigated. This highlights a general trend across EU countries, with most of them receiving low scores in this area. This score places Croatia 13th out of 27 EU countries.
As the EU's financing arm, the EIB is investing in major projects in Croatia that are supporting the country's green transition. Recent examples include investments to upgrade of the national railway network and rolling stock under the Railway Revitalization Framework Loan. The EIB financing will improve cohesion of EU regions, enhances transport across Croatia, cut dependence on fossil-fuel dependent transport modes and significantly improve safety for passengers while cutting their travel times. The EIB is also helping Croatia transform into an energy efficient country by providing advisory services to the capital city of Zagreb on upgrading energy efficiency in public buildings and decarbonising the city's public public transport, including bus and tram systems.
EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska:
"The negative effects of climate change can only be mitigated if we work together, and Croatia has an important role to play in this. A key step to improving our response to climate change is to identify and address knowledge gaps, and the EIB Climate Survey offers a good place to start. At the EIB, we provide financing to fight climate change, but we also recognise our role in contributing to the debate and education around the issue. Education is a powerful tool for change. We are committed to complementing our financing with initiatives that promote climate awareness and knowledge. This is how we build a sustainable future that leaves no one behind."
Data and methodology
The survey methodology, questionnaire and full dataset can be downloaded here.
About the European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It is active in more than 160 countries and makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals. You can find more information about the EIB and climate education here.
About BVA Xsight
BVA Xsight is a pioneer in market research and consulting.