• 57% believe that the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its consequences should accelerate the green transition.
• 80% 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.
• 64% 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.

These are the main 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. The results of the EIB 2022 Climate Survey come at a critical time, just ahead of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), which will take place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, from 6 to 18 November 2022.

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, Austrians 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 Austrians last year, concerns over climate change now predominate, with 47% citing it as their top concern, 6 percentage points above the EU average of 41%.

In addition, 74% of Austrians now say they feel the effects of climate change on their daily lives (an increase of 4 percentage points compared with 2021).

80% 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. Meanwhile, 82% feel that the government is reacting too slowly, and 69% think that Austria will not succeed in substantially reducing its carbon emissions by 2030.

War in Ukraine and green transition

The majority of Austrians (57%) believe that the war in Ukraine and its consequences on the prices of oil and gas should accelerate the green transition (8 percentage points below the EU average of 65%).

When asked to rank their energy priorities, Austrians expect their government to prioritise the development of renewable energies (43%) before focusing on energy supply diversification to avoid being overly reliant on a single provider (32%).

Energy savings rank relatively high in their priorities. More Austrians than the EU average say that citizens and companies must do more to reduce their own consumption (25% compared with 19%). This is especially the case among the younger generation (30% among 15- to 29-year-olds).

Tackling climate change and addressing high energy prices

To reduce energy consumption, most Austrians want highly polluting goods and services, such as air travel and SUVs, to be taxed more heavily to account for their environmental cost (64%). The majority also wants energy prices to be tied to consumption, with those consuming the most energy being charged more (59%).

If Austrians were to lower the temperature in their homes this winter, 19% of them would accept capping it at 19° C (8 percentage points fewer than Germans (27%)). Meanwhile, 24% of Austrians say that they already cannot afford to heat their homes properly.

Finally, on addressing high energy prices, 34% of Austrians think that in the short term the government should reduce energy-related taxes (40% among right-wing sympathisers). Other measures are less popular, such as capping or regulating the prices of gas, oil and coal (33%), or giving out energy vouchers (13%).

EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros said: “The results of the EIB 2022 Climate Survey show that Austrians believe that accelerating renewable energy and energy efficiency measures are priorities in fighting the global energy and climate crisis. At the EIB we have been supporting innovative clean energy investments in Austria for many years, such as our recent financing of the Pretul wind farm. Going forward, we stand ready to use our full range of financial and advisory instruments to continue to support Austria in the just green energy transition.”

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.