Spain, among the countries with the greatest awareness of climate change

80% of Spaniards are “very” or “fairly” concerned about climate change

Data from the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Survey show that Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Greece and Italy are more concerned about climate change than more traditional environmentalist countries such as Germany and Sweden. In the latter, awareness is around 70%, while in the former, approximately 80% perceive the effects of global warming and the increase in greenhouse gases as a threat. Along the same lines is the study published by the CIS, which concludes that 80% of those interviewed are “very” or “fairly” concerned about climate change.

Although there is a widespread view of the climate emergency, the perception of this phenomenon as a threat varies greatly from one country to another. In addition to European societies, Japan and South Korea perceive climate change as a greater risk than issues such as the spread of infectious diseases or cyber-attacks. In contrast, this idea is not shared by nations such as Israel, the United States, Malaysia or Singapore, where the recognition of global warming as a serious problem is more limited.

The report states that a large majority in Spain believe that profound changes must be made to combat climate change and protect the environment. However, when asked about preferences in terms of public spending, respondents prioritise budget allocations for health, research and science. It is striking that fewer than one in three advocate higher spending on environmental protection.

Raising awareness is undoubtedly the first step in tackling the crisis that is looming over humanity at a global level, but we must also take action by adopting consistent behaviour to reduce our carbon footprint and limit greenhouse gas emissions, which are one of the main causes of climate change. While changes in individual behaviour can help to improve the situation, it is companies and institutions that have the greatest capacity to make a real commitment to the environment that really need to be involved in bringing about change.