Less than a third of voters think the EU has had a positive impact on environmental protection.
ADVERTISEMENTMore than half of European voters believe the fight against climate change is a priority, according to an exclusive Euronews-Ipsos poll.
A further 32 per cent said it was important but not a priority and 16 per cent believe the fight against climate change is a secondary issue.
In the first pan-European survey of its kind ahead of the European elections in June, 25,916 people across 18 countries were interviewed about a range of issues. These countries together represent 96 per cent of the EU population.
With climate policy shaping up to be one of the key debates, the poll sheds some light on where voters stand.
Where in Europe do voters see climate action as a priority?
Across the 18 countries included in the poll, 52 per cent of respondents believe the fight against climate change is a priority. Breaking down the data into individual nations reveals a more complicated and varied picture, however.
Denmark (69 per cent), Portugal (67 per cent) and Sweden (62 per cent) were the countries where the highest percentage of people saw climate change as a priority. A further 23 per cent in Denmark, 28 per cent in Portugal and 26 per cent in Sweden thought it was important but not a priority.
Poland, Czech Republic and Finland had the lowest percentage of respondents who believed climate change was a priority for the EU. Still, just over a third of people (34 per cent) in these three countries see it as a priority.
Only in Poland was there a significant number - 35 per cent - who believe the fight against climate change is a secondary issue. In all other countries, less than a quarter of people held this view.
Women were slightly more likely to say the fight against climate change was a priority at 55 per cent compared to 49 per cent of men.
The poll also shows that age isn’t a significant indicator of people’s perspective on climate action. Around half of people in all age groups said this issue was a priority and roughly a third believed it was important.
Has the EU had a positive impact on environmental protection?
As the European elections approach, many are taking stock of how different policies have transformed the EU over the last five years. When it comes to climate change, landmark new laws have brought major changes with measures aimed at cutting emissions by 55 per cent by 2030.
Overall, just 32 per cent of voters think the EU has had a positive impact on environmental protection over the last few years.
Respondents in Romania had the highest approval rate with almost half (48 per cent) saying the EU has had a positive impact. Voters in Portugal (47 per cent) and Finland (45 per cent) had a similar view.
At the other end of the spectrum, just 23 per cent of people in France think the EU has had a positive impact on environmental protection. 38 per cent were neutral on the issue and 39 per cent believe the EU has had a negative impact - the highest percentage across all 18 countries.
In the Netherlands, respondents weren’t much more confident with a quarter of people having a positive view of the EU’s environmental action.
Both France and the Netherlands have been at the epicentre of recent farmers’ protests across Europe which have seen the agricultural industry fight back against various regulations and policies.
The European Green Deal is one of the most contentious issues for these protesters who say it limits their business and makes their products more expensive than non-EU imports.
