More than half of Europeans believe that EU climate policies will be a source of economic growth, but almost two thirds of them see climate change in 2050 as a serious problem, according to a survey by the European Investment Bank (EIB).
“The results of the poll show that 56 percent of Europeans believe that combating climate change will have a positive impact on economic growth, which is in line with the perception of Americans and Britons (57 percent), while Chinese are more optimistic (67 percent). The majority of Europeans (61%) believe that their quality of life will improve, because their daily life will be easier, and they expect a positive impact on food and health. However, two thirds (62 percent) of Europeans predict that with the green transition, their purchasing power will decline, as well as that it will have an impact on their jobs, “the EIB said in a statement.
Half of Europeans believe that measures related to resolving the climate crisis will have a positive impact on the employment rate, ie that they will create more jobs than they will eliminate. However, the results of a closer look show that the majority of the population in the eastern EU has a pessimistic view of the impact of climate policies on the labor market. 55% of them are afraid that they will cut more jobs than they will open. In contrast, 60 percent of the population in the western EU believes that they will create more jobs than vice versa. Also, young Europeans are particularly concerned about the sustainability of their jobs: almost half of respondents aged 20-29 (44%) fear losing their jobs because they will not comply with measures against climate change (19 percentage points above the EU average of 25 percent). This concern is even more evident among the Chinese (45%), Americans (32%) and Britons (31%).
Respondents from Europe stated that climate change poses a threat to their place of residence. When asked about the long-term impact of the climate crisis, a third of the EU’s population (29%) expects to have to move to another region or another country. Younger respondents, aged 20-29, are more afraid of that, half of whom expressed concern about the possibility that they will have to move due to climate problems, Danas writes.
