Despite a setback for green parties in the 2024 European elections, EU citizens remain concerned about climate change, according to a policy brief published on Tuesday 25 February by the Bruegel think-tank.
However, the report, which is based on a survey carried out in 2024 among 7,819 citizens in France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden, shows that while the majority want strong measures, there is growing doubt about governments' ability to implement them fairly and effectively.
49% of Italians, 41% of French and 38% of Germans still believe that the environment and the fight against climate change should be priorities for the EU. Nevertheless, in Germany and Poland, support for strong climate action has dropped from 64% to 49% between 2020 and 2024, in favour of an approach focused on adaptation.
At the same time, mistrust of governments is growing, and in Germany 56% of citizens who feel disconnected from politics do not trust Parliament to manage the climate transition.
Climate scepticism is also on the rise: in 2024, only 47% of Germans attributed climate change entirely to human activity, compared with 58% in 2020. This decline has also been seen in France, Italy and Sweden.
According to the authors of the study, researchers Jan Eichhorn and Heather Grabbe, if governments do not restore confidence, populist rhetoric will proliferate and undermine Europe’s climate commitments.
To see the study: https://aeur.eu/f/fni (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)