The second part of the 2021-2022 EIB Climate Survey explores people’s views on climate change in a rapidly changing world. The results from this release focus on citizens’ individual behaviour and the actions they are taking to combat climate change.
- 71% of Swedes feel they are doing all they can to fight climate change in their daily lives, but the majority believe that their compatriots are not doing the same
- 69% of Swedish car buyers say they will either pick a hybrid or electric car the next time they purchase a vehicle, while 31% would still opt for a petrol or diesel car
- 63% of Swedes say they consider climate change when choosing a holiday destination
- 49% of young Swedes consider climate change when looking for a job
- 59% of young Swedes already buy second-hand clothes instead of new ones
These are some of the results from the second release of the 2021-2022 Climate Survey published today by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The EIB is the lending arm of the European Union and the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate action projects.
Climate protection versus flying for holidays
63% of Swedes say they consider climate change when choosing their holiday destination. This concern is even stronger amongst people younger than 30 (67%). However, almost two-thirds of young people (65%, compared to 49% for people aged 30-64 and 33% for people aged 65 and above) say they will fly for their summer holidays in 2022. More than one-third of them (36%, compared to 25% for people aged 30-64 and 14% for people aged 65 and above) say they will fly to a faraway destination.
Choice of car: Some clear generational gaps
When asked about future car purchases, 69% of Swedish car buyers say they will either buy a hybrid or electric car. This figure is 38 points higher than the percentage of Swedes who said they would buy a diesel or petrol vehicle (31%). More specifically, 38% say they would purchase a hybrid vehicle and 31% would opt for an electric one.
Swedish car buyers older than 65 are particularly interested in buying a hybrid vehicle (54% of Swedes aged 65 and older would choose a hybrid). Meanwhile young Swedes are most likely to opt for an electric vehicle (49%), 27 points above the figure for people older than 65 (only 22% of them say they would choose an electric vehicle). Swedish people aged 30-64 would almost equally favour hybrid (37%) and petrol/diesel (36%) vehicles above electric cars (27%).
19% of Swedes say they do not have a vehicle now and are not planning to buy one (six points above the EU average).
With 69% of Swedish car buyers opting for a hybrid or electric vehicle, Swedes seem more inclined to switch to new car technologies compared to Finns (63%) and Germans (52%).
More specifically, like the Finns (38%), Swedish car buyers (38%) seem more inclined to choose a hybrid car compared to Germans (28%).
Swedish car buyers seem more inclined to purchase an electric car (31%) compared to Finns (25%) and Germans (23%).
In general, European car buyers tend to favour hybrid vehicles (39%), while petrol or diesel vehicles are ranked second (33%) and electric cars come third (28% state they would purchase an electric car). Whilst Chinese car buyers are the most inclined to buy an electric car (44%), Americans would opt first for a hybrid vehicle (38%), followed by a petrol or diesel vehicle (33%), then an electric car (29%).
Shopping for clothes, choosing a job, deciding on a bank: how climate considerations affect people’s decisions
49% of Swedes say they buy second-hand clothes instead of new ones (seven points above the EU average). Women are more likely to do so than men (57% for women vs. 40% for men).
36% of Swedish people consider climate change when searching for a job. This is particularly the case for 15-29 year-olds: 49% of them take climate change into consideration when job hunting, compared to 34% for people aged 30-64 (15 points lower).
Overall, 43% of Swedish people consider climate change when they choose their bank or invest their savings.
EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros said: “Despite some clear generational gaps, Swedish people are increasingly adapting their mobility and consumption habits in a more sustainable manner to tackle climate change. These shifts in individual behaviour show that people of all ages are willing to make stronger commitments in their daily lives to help mitigate the climate crisis. These intentions were voiced during COP26 and are a clear indicator of support for our efforts to foster the green transition. As the EU climate bank, one of the EIB’s key roles is to finance innovative projects that focus on electric mobility as well as other sustainable mobility solutions that help build a decarbonised future for all.”
Download the Excel spreadsheet with the raw data for all 30 countries surveyed here. Please click here to access an EIB webpage presenting key findings of the EIB Climate Survey IV.
About the EIB Climate Survey
The European Investment Bank has launched the fourth edition of the EIB Climate Survey, a thorough assessment of how people feel about climate change. Conducted in partnership with market research firm BVA, the fourth edition of the EIB Climate Survey aims to inform the broader debate on attitudes and expectations in terms of climate action. More than 30 000 respondents participated in the survey between 26 August and 22 September 2021, with a representative panel for each of the 30 countries polled.
About the European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union and is owned by the EU Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals both in Europe and beyond. The European Investment Bank is active in around 160 countries and is the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate action projects. The EIB Group has recently adopted its Climate Bank Roadmap to deliver on its ambitious agenda to support €1 trillion of climate action and environmental sustainability investments in the decade to 2030 and to deliver more than 50% of EIB finance for climate action and environmental sustainability by 2025. As part of the roadmap, all new EIB Group operations have also been aligned with the goals and principles of the Paris Agreement since the start of 2021.
About BVA
BVA is an opinion research and consulting firm recognised as one of the most innovative market research firms in its sector. Specialised in behavioural marketing, BVA combines data science and social science to make data inspiring and bring it to life. BVA is also a member of the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN), a global network of some of the world’s leading market research and survey players, with over 40 members.