Veg diet, fewer flights: we want to counter the crisis but we are not ready to change our habits

Europeans are seriously concerned about the ongoing climate crisis and its effects. This was revealed by a survey conducted by YouGov in Italy, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Denmark on the perception of the problem and the measures to be implemented to counter global warming. The questionnaire reports the Guardianwas subjected to over 1,000 people in each of the countries, between April 5 and 24.

Most of the people interviewed (60% in Sweden, 63% in Germany and 65% in the United Kingdom, 77% in Spain, 79% in France and 81% in Italy) declared to be very or quite alarmed for the current situation and convinced that the climate is changing due to thehuman activityagainst 20% who do not recognize the link and 5% who deny that it is happening altogether.

But if the investigation reveals a substantial support for government actions to combat climate change, the suggested ways vary from country to country. As well as regarding the changes people are willing to make personally for the greater good.

From single use plastic to veg diet

Measures that do not involve major lifestyle sacrifices were promoted, with between 45% (Germany) and 72% (Spain) in favor of government programs of planting of trees and 60% (Spain) and 77% (UK) who said they were ready or already committed to growing more plants. Between 40% (Denmark) and 56% (UK, Spain and Italy) of respondents would be happy not to buy the disposable plasticwhile between 63% (Sweden) and 75% (Spain) say they are in favor of the ban.

And the diet? For 28% in Germany and 43% in Italy it is fine limit your intake of meat and dairy products at two or three meals a week; while 24% (in the United Kingdom) and 48% (in Italy) said they were in favor of legislation in this sense. The more radical action proposals, such as voluntarily giving up meat and dairy products and having fewer children than would be desired find much lower support: respectively 10% (Germany) and 19% (Italy), and 9% (Germany) and 17% (Italy).

Electric car and no more polluting vehicles

When asked if they would be willing to switch to aelectric car, just under a third of respondents in the seven countries examined – from 19% in Germany to 32% in Denmark to 40% in Italy – responded positively. But the answer changes if you look at how many people would be willing to give up altogether the car to choose to go on foot or by bike: 40% of Italians say they are willing, against 35% in France and 44% in Spain.

The British (22%), the Germans (24%), the Danes (20%) and the Swedes (21%) are less convinced. But it should be considered that 25% of French and 28% of Germans said they have already chosen an ecological alternative to travel against 11% to 16% in other countries. The fact remains that measures such as therising fuel prices or the ban on the sale of polluting vehicles remain unpopular measures for most Europeans. If Italy and Spain were the countries most favorable to the idea of ​​doing without petrol and diesel carsin France and Germany 60% said they were against the ban.