84% of the Spanish population believes that climate change is occurring on the planet and 76% attributes it to man’s own actions. These figures are somewhat higher in Catalonia, where 89% of the population consider that this phenomenon is occurring and 78% estimate that it is fundamentally due to human activities rather than natural causes. Climate denialism still does not take root in Spain and has become entrenched in less than 10% of people, according to a survey by Sigma 2 for the AXA Foundation carried out among 5,000 people from all over Spain, 500 of them in Catalonia.
The idea that climate change is occurring is widely shared in Spain. The recognition that such a phenomenon is occurring exceeds 80% among men and women and is something shared across all age groups. This appreciation is more intense among women than among men (86.8%, compared to 81.6) and more significantly among Catalan women (92.2% compared to 85.4%).
By age, what stands out most is that this belief in Catalonia is higher in the 30 to 44 age group and, above all, in those over 65 years of age (96.3%).
Denialism about global warming slightly exceeds 10% among men and those between 45 and 64 years old.
Both by educational level and income level, recognition of the existence of climate change exceeds 80% in all cases.
However, in Catalonia the fact stands out that the highest degree of denialists occurs among people with upper-middle incomes (15.7%).
That the climate is due to a greater extent to human action than to natural causes is an opinion shared mostly between men and women and by people of all ages.
However, the percentage of men who support this idea is higher in Catalonia (78%) than in Spain as a whole (72.5%); and in the case of those over 65 years of age it exceeds it by 12 points.
In Spain as a whole, deforestation and industrial activities (such as the burning of fossil fuels) are identified as the main factors influencing warming. On the other hand, in Catalonia the opinion that industrial activities are those that have the greatest impact on climate change is placed in first place compared to deforestation.
In both cases (in Spain and Catalonia), energy consumption based on fossil fuels, fossil fuels used in transportation and waste generation are followed as factors causing warming, while less importance is given to the impacts of agriculture and livestock and the existence of an unsustainable food model.
83% of Spaniards consider that the most serious effect of warming is the increase in extreme weather phenomena and the melting of the poles with an increase in sea level, while in the case of Catalonia this conviction is even greater, since it reaches 88.4%.
The increase in fires, the decrease in biodiversity and the decrease in basic resources such as water and food are the other three consequences that are cited in importance (in the same order in Spain and Catalonia) as the main effects. In Catalonia, more than 82% think that it will affect the increase in fires and the decrease in biodiversity a lot or quite a bit.
Overwhelmingly, Spaniards consider it necessary to act urgently in the face of the risks posed by warming. Specifically, 83.6% believe that this action is very urgent or quite urgent, a figure that rises to 89.3% in the case of Catalonia.
Concern about its impacts focuses above all on arguments and reasons related to health and nutrition, where the main reasons for concern are concentrated. “Women are more concerned than men about all the impacts of personal life,” says the survey’s conclusions.
80.4% are very or quite concerned about the impact it may have on health, and 74.6% are concerned about the impact it may have on diet.
When addressing the measures that should be taken to address climate change, 90.4% of Catalans agree with the idea that greater use of water should be promoted (wastewater treatment, reuse, collection of rainwater). It is the main concern, followed by the need to promote reforestation while the need to increase research (87.2%), reuse waste and promote responsible consumption (87%) and inform the population about the climate change and how to stop it (84.5%).
61.2% of Catalans think that a reduction in people’s comfort level is necessary to benefit the environment, but the majority are not willing to change their habits to reduce their environmental footprint.
Therefore, the question is: to what extent is society willing to change habits to reduce its environmental footprint? Catalans show the greatest willingness to change recycling habits (51.%), it drops to 30% in the case of technology and mobility, and the area in which there is less willingness is tourism (25.6%). )
Furthermore, the degree to which Catalans consider that environmental factors are decisive when making consumption decisions (purchase of vehicles, supermarkets, stores, investment and savings decisions, etc.) stands at 6.6, slightly higher to 6.4 national.
In fact, if we delve a little deeper into these decisive factors, Catalans think that the cost of products slows down their desire to have more sustainable behaviors, something that is accentuated in those under 30 years of age, the group most aware of climate change. in Catalonia.
Finally, when asked about the risks derived from extreme weather events, 52.9% of Catalans would know how to protect their home and have insurance, but 25% do not have it due to lack of resources or another reason, and a 22% would not directly know what to do. In all cases, the lack of knowledge of how to protect their home or the lack of resources is accentuated at a younger age, and the averages place women more prepared to act compared to men
