According to the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) annual climate survey, it is relevant for 75% of Italians
81% of Italian 20-year-olds consider the climate impact of a potential employer’s activities a relevant factor in choosing a job, and 25% even say it is a top priority. It is one of the results of the last edition of theEuropean Investment Bank (EIB) annual climate surveyconducted in August 2022 and published today.
The war in Ukraine and its aftermath, including rising energy prices and inflation, have significantly heightened people’s concerns about declining purchasing power. In Italy, however, climate change remains one of the major challenges facing the country (56% of Italians place climate or environmental degradation among their top three national challenges). Over three-quarters of respondents (80%) say they are convinced that their behavior can make a difference in tackling the climate emergency, 8 percentage points higher than the EU average. Many believe that government has a role to play when it comes to inducing individuals to change their behaviour. Three quarters of Italians (76%) are in favor of more stringent government measures which impose a different behavior of people in the face of climate change (82% of those interviewed under the age of 30 would be in favor of this type of measure).
EMPLOYMENT – As new people enter the labor market each year, climate considerations among those faced with choosing an employer become more prevalent. The majority of the population (75%) already say that it is important for a potential employer to make sustainability a priority. For 25% of job applicants, sustainability is even a top priority. This majority is generalized and embraces all political orientations and income levels.
CONSUMPTION – Almost two thirds of the Italians interviewed (64%) welcome the creation of a carbon balance system that would allocate a fixed number of annual credits to be spent on products with a heavy carbon footprint (goods that are not essential , flights, meat, etc…). The same opinion is also shared by the majority of the French and German interviewees (57% and 56% respectively). This measure is approved by the majority of Italians, regardless of income level (70% of the lowest incomes, 63% of the middle class and over 63% of the interviewees in the highest income brackets).
FOOD – Food production contributes a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions. To help people make more sustainable choices when filling their shopping cart, 85% of Italians are in favor of generalized labeling of food products for a clear identification of the climate footprint of the various products. This percentage is close to the French one (83%), although 5 percentage points higher than the German one (80%). Furthermore, 64% of Italians say they are willing to pay a little more for food produced locally and in a more sustainable way (a percentage that differs slightly from the French and German ones, with 60% and 61% respectively %). The willingness to pay more for food is shared by the various income groups and ranges from 62% of subjects with lower incomes to 68% of those with higher incomes). Reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products would be another effective way to limit greenhouse gas emissions. More than two thirds of Italians (68%) would be willing to limit the amount of meat and dairy products that people can buy (19 percentage points above the Germans (49%) and 11 percentage points above the French (57%). This answer unites subjects belonging to the various age and income groups.
For EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti, “the results of the EIB Climate Survey show that Italians are more than willing to contribute individually to the fight against climate change. As an EU climate bank, we greatly appreciate this commitment. It is our job to empower people to take individual action to reduce CO2 emissions and encourage more sustainable everyday life.We do this by funding green services such as sustainable transport, renewable energy and energy-efficient buildings, as well as by promoting green investments made by SMEs Our support for green projects in Italy amounted to almost €5.5 billion in 2022. We will continue to support initiatives that accelerate the green transition and we are looking for innovative ways that contribute to the realization of a future prosperous that leaves no one behind.”
Source-www.adnkronos.com