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The second part of the 2022-2023 European Investment Bank (EIB) Climate Survey explores people’s views on climate change in a rapidly changing world. The results from this release focus on people’s individual behaviour and the actions they are taking to combat climate change.

  • 69% of Dutch people aged 20-29 say the climate impact of prospective employers is an important factor when job hunting, and 13% even say it is a top priority.
  • 69% of all Dutch respondents say they are convinced that their own behaviour can make a difference in addressing the climate emergency.
  • 67% are in favour of labelling all food to help limit the impact on climate and the environment.
  • 55% of people under 30 are in favour of limiting the amount of meat and dairy products people can buy.

These are some of the results from the latest yearly EIB Climate Survey, conducted in August 2022 and published today. The EIB is the lending arm of the European Union and the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate action projects.

Individual behaviour and stricter government measures

The war in Ukraine and its consequences, including rising energy prices and inflation, have dramatically increased concerns about declining purchasing power. However, climate change remains the second biggest challenge — after the financial crisis but before the increased cost of living — according to Dutch respondents (51% say climate change or environmental degradation are the top challenges people in the country face). These challenges are ranked the same as in Belgium, while climate change comes first in Germany (for 57% of respondents) before the financial crisis and the increased cost of living.

More than two-thirds of Dutch respondents (69%) say they are convinced that their own behaviour can make a difference in addressing the climate emergency (7 percentage points above the rate in Belgium (62%) but 6 percentage points below Germany (75%)).

More women (73%) than men (64%) are convinced that their individual behaviour can have an impact.

Young people, in particular, say the government has a role to play in encouraging individual behavioural change. 55% of people under 30 would be in favour of stricter government measures imposing a change in people’s behaviour to tackle climate change (14 percentage points below the rate in Germany (69%) and 10 percentage points below Belgium (65%)), whereas only 46% of people over 30 would welcome such measures.

>@Graphic workshop/EIB

Jobseeker priorities

A growing number of people entering the workforce each year are looking at employers’ climate credentials when job hunting. Most Dutch respondents (55%) say it is important that prospective employers prioritise sustainability (7 percentage points below the EU average of 62% but close to the rate in Belgium (52%) and Germany (56%)). For 11% of respondents, it is even a priority. This majority holds across the political spectrum and at all income levels.

Of people aged 20 to 29 — typically those looking for their first job — more than two-thirds (69%) say that sustainability is an important factor in their choice of employer (7 percentage points below the EU average of 76% and 12 percentage points below the rate in Germany (81%), but close to the rate in Belgium (73%)). 13% of respondents even say it is a top priority (9 percentage points below the EU average of 22%, 11 percentage points below the rate in Belgium (24%) and 5 percentage points below Germany (18%)).

>@Graphic workshop/EIB

Food labelling and pricing

Food production accounts for a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions. To help people make more sustainable choices when grocery shopping, 67% of Dutch people are in favour of labelling all food products with their climate footprint. This is close to the rate in Belgium (72%) but 13 percentage points below the rate in Germany (80%).

In addition, a small majority (52%) of Dutch respondents say they would be willing to pay slightly more for food that is produced locally and more sustainably (9 percentage points less than Germans).

Reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products would be another efficient way to limit greenhouse gas emissions. While 55% of people under 30 would be in favour of limiting the amount of meat and dairy products that people can buy to fight climate change, only 43% of people over 30 would be willing to do so (23 percentage points less than Italians and 6 percentage points less than Germans, but a similar level to Belgians, with 44%).

In the words of EIB Vice-President Kris Peeters, “The outcome of the EIB Climate Survey shows that Dutch people are willing to help fight climate change at the individual level and are attentive to the impact of their jobs and prospective employers. As the EU climate bank, we welcome this commitment. It is our role to enable people to take action against the climate crisis. We do this by financing green services such as sustainable transport, renewable energy and energy-efficient buildings. In 2022, we supported green projects in the Netherlands with €731 million, creating many meaningful jobs for young people. We will continue to support companies and initiatives that accelerate the green transition and are looking for innovative ways to contribute to a prosperous future that leaves no one behind.”

Background information

About the EIB Climate Survey

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has now performed the fifth annual 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 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. The EIB Group has adopted a 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 been aligned with the goals and principles of the Paris Agreement since the start of 2021.

EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm dedicated to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance.  EIB Global is designed to foster strong, focused partnership within Team Europe, alongside fellow development finance institutions, and civil society. EIB Global brings the Group closer to local people, companies and institutions through our offices across the world

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.