Almost three in 10 Irish adults are concerned that they are personally exposed to environmental and climate-related risks, according to a new report by the European Commission.
The survey on the attitude of EU citizens to climate change revealed that 28 per cent of people living in Ireland are fearful of the threat posed by events like floods, pollution, extreme weather conditions and fires.
However, 42 per cent of Irish citizens also claimed they did not feel exposed to such risks at all – the third-highest rate amongst the 27 EU member states and twice the EU average.
The report said the results showed people living in southern and eastern areas of the EU were more likely to feel exposed to risk and threats posed by climate change than those in northern and some central areas.
The Eurobarometer poll found that more than two-thirds of Irish adults claim to have taken some form of action within the past six months to fight climate change.
Government response
However, the survey also highlighted how six out of 10 Irish respondents said the Irish government was not doing enough to tackle the problem.
It found 68 per cent of Irish respondents said they had personally taken some action to combat global warming.
While the figure was above the EU average of 63 per cent, it was still only the 12th highest ranking among the 27 EU member states.
The most common action taken by Irish people was to reduce their waste and to regularly separate it for recycling which was done by 65 per cent of those surveyed from the Republic.
Just over half of Irish respondents said they had cut down on their consumption of disposable items like plastic bags and excess packaging whenever possible.
The third most common activity was using an alternative means of transport to a private car which was cited by 29 per cent of those surveyed.
In addition, 5 per cent of Irish people said they had bought an electric car, while 6 per cent had installed solar panels in their home.
The report also highlighted how almost 8 out of 10 Irish people perceive climate change as a very serious problem at the moment.
Impacts of climate change
The survey of over 26,000 people across the 27 EU member states, including over 1,000 in the Republic, was carried out in May and June, before the recent concerns about the heatwave and large-scale wildfires in Europe.
Four-fifths of Irish adults also agreed that reducing fossil fuel imports from outside the EU would increase energy security and benefit the EU economically.
The survey revealed that the overwhelming majority of Irish people believe more public support should be given to the transition to clean energies even if it meant reducing subsidies on fossil fuels.
Irish citizens were the most positive of all Europeans in the belief that adapting to the adverse impacts of climate change could have benefits for EU citizens.
Three-quarters also agreed that the cost of damage due to climate change was much higher than the cost of investment needed for a green transition.
Ireland was one of nine EU member countries whose citizens ranked climate change as the single most serious problem facing the world ahead of other major issues including poverty, hunger and lack of drinking water, armed conflicts, international terrorism and the economic situation.
In Ireland, 24 per cent of respondents cited climate change as their biggest single concern for the planet, narrowly ahead of poverty and hunger followed by armed conflicts.
Shifting attitudes
The report said the attitude of EU citizens to climate change had undergone “some shift” as it was no longer ranked as the most serious problem facing the world unlike when a similar survey was carried out in 2021.
Other results of the survey suggest there is a strong cohort of Irish people who feel strongly about climate change, but the concern is less evident among the general population and may not be as strong as in the past.
The latest results revealed that only 49 per cent of Irish people ranked climate change among the top three issues facing the world compared to 66 per cent in a similar survey two years ago.
However, the European Commission pointed out that a completely different methodology was used two years ago which could affect the results.
Asked who was most responsible within the EU for tackling climate change, 54 per cent of Irish people stated national governments.
The survey showed 62 per cent of Irish people said the Government was not doing enough to tackle climate change compared to 28 per cent who felt they were doing enough.
Slightly more Irish people believe economic pressure caused by the energy crisis could be best tackled by measures to limit the cost of energy bills through price caps and taxing the profits of energy suppliers than by a speedier rollout of cheaper renewable energies.
The European Commission said the results showed some common actions taken by individuals to counter climate change had become less widespread with the proportion of EU citizens cutting down on waste and the consumption of disposable items at their lowest levels since 2013.
The survey showed those aged 15-24 as well as people who completed further education and higher earners were more likely to regard climate change as a serious problem and to be more supportive of actions to address the issue.
Under the EU’s European Green Deal, member states have committed to cut net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 per cent compared to 1990 levels by 2030 and to net-zero levels by 2050.
It is estimated that over 61,000 deaths were attributed to heat-related causes across the EU last year due to record high summer temperatures in 2022.
The economic cost of river flooding and forest fires alone worldwide exceeds €7 billion per annum on average over the last 40 years.
