Capping individual consumption
A majority of Austrian respondents (54%) say they would be in favour of a carbon budget system that would allocate each individual a fixed number of yearly credits to be spent on items with a big carbon footprint (non-essential goods, flights, meat, etc.). Nearly the same rate of German respondents share this opinion (56%).
It is noteworthy that a majority of Austrians favour this measure regardless of income (53% of lower-income, 53% of middle-income, and 58% of higher-income respondents). More people under 30 (63%) are in favour of introducing a carbon budget system than their elders, with 54% of respondents over 65 opposed to such a measure.
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, 78% of Austrians are in favour of labelling all food products with their climate footprint. This is similar to the rate in Germany (80%).
In addition, 65% of Austrians say they would be willing to pay slightly more for food that is produced locally and more sustainably (slightly more than Germans would, with 61%). A majority of respondents, irrespective of income, voice this willingness to pay more for food (ranging from 61% of lower-income respondents to 72% of higher-income respondents).
Reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products would be another efficient way to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Just under half of Austrians (48%) would be in favour of limiting the amount of meat and dairy products that people can buy to fight climate change (a similar share to Germans, with 49%).
While there is only a slight gap across income groups, with those on higher incomes generally in favour (54%) and those on lower incomes less so (49%), there is a clear generation gap, with 56% of people under 30 in favour of capping individual consumption of meat and dairy products, as opposed to only 37% of those over 65.
In the words of EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros, “The outcome of the EIB Climate Survey shows that Austrians are more than willing to help fight climate change at the individual level. 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 Austria with €377 million. We will continue to support projects 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 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.