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  • 81% of Croats, more than in any other EU country, say that the Russian invasion of Ukraine should accelerate the green transition (15 percentage points more than the EU average of 66%).
  • 88% say, that if we do not drastically reduce our consumption of energy and goods in the coming years, we will be heading for a global catastrophe.
  • 68% want highly polluting goods and services such as air travel and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) to be taxed more heavily to account for their environmental cost.
  • 63% want energy prices to be tied to consumption, with those consuming the most being charged more.

These are some of the results from the latest yearly Climate Survey conducted in August 2022 and 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.

After a challenging year in which Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked an ongoing energy crisis and accelerated inflation all over Europe, and a summer marked by record heatwaves and droughts, Croats have become even more acutely aware of the impact of climate change and the need for urgent action.

Climate change awareness and urgency

While COVID-19 was considered the number one challenge for Croats last year, concerns over inflation now predominate, with 74% citing it as their top concern, compared with 36% across the rest of the European Union.

Meanwhile, 84% of Croats now say they feel the effects of climate change on their daily lives.

88% think that, if we do not drastically reduce our consumption of energy and goods in the coming years, we will be heading for a global catastrophe. At the same time, 93% feel that the government is reacting too slowly, and only 32% think that Croatia will succeed in substantially reducing its carbon emissions by 2030.

War in Ukraine and green transition

Most Croats (81%) believe that the war in Ukraine and its consequences on the prices of oil and gas should accelerate the green transition (15 percentage points more than the European average of 66%).

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When asked to rank their energy priorities, Croats expect their government to prioritise the development of renewable energy (68%) before focusing on energy supply diversification to avoid being overly reliant on a single provider (20%).

On the other hand, energy savings are considered less of a priority, with only 12% of Croats believing that citizens and companies must do more to reduce their own consumption.

Tackling climate change and addressing high energy prices

To reduce energy consumption, most Croats want highly polluting goods and services such as air travel and SUVs to be taxed more heavily to account for their environmental cost (68%). They also want energy prices to be tied to consumption, with those consuming the most being charged more (63%).

If Croats were to lower the temperature in their homes this winter, only 13% of them would accept capping it at 19° C (15 percentage points fewer than the European average of 28%). Meanwhile, 21% of Croats say that they already cannot afford to heat their homes properly.

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Finally, on addressing high energy prices, 38% of Croats think that in the short term the government should reduce energy-related taxes (53% among right-wing sympathisers). Other measures are less popular, such as capping or regulating the prices of gas, oil and coal (25%), encouraging energy savings with public campaigns (20%) or giving out energy vouchers (13%).

EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska said: “The EIB 2022 Climate Survey in Croatia returned the highest level of support for the transition to renewable energy generation to fight the global energy and climate crisis in the EU. This is a powerful message ahead of the COP27 climate conference. The EIB is ready to continue providing hands-on support to Croatia in this transition as we have been supporting innovative clean energy investments for years, including modernisation of energy supply, wind farms and more energy-efficient social housing. We stand ready to use our full range of advisory and financial instruments to ensure a just green energy transition that leaves no one behind.”

Background information

About the EIB Climate Survey

The EIB has launched the fifth edition of the EIB Climate Survey, a thorough assessment of how people feel about climate change. Conducted in partnership with the market research firm BVA, the fifth edition of the EIB Climate Survey aims to inform the broader debate on attitudes and expectations in terms of climate action. More than 28 000 respondents participated in the survey in August 2022, with a representative panel of people aged 15 and above for each of the 30 countries polled.

About the EIB

Since 2019, the EIB has accelerated its transformation into a climate bank by committing to devoting at least 50% of its financing from 2025 to investments that contribute to the fight against climate change and the mitigation of its effects.

About BVA

BVA is an opinion research and consulting firm recognised as one of the most innovative market research firms in its sector. Specialising 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.