67% Of Maltese Citizens Think Climate Change Is World’s Most Serious Problem, Surpassing EU Average
In a comprehensive study conducted by the European Commission, it was found that Maltese citizens’ concern about climate change is significantly higher than the average across the European Union.
A whopping 67% of Maltese citizens view climate change as the world’s most serious problem, in contrast to the EU27 average of 52%.
The study involved both face-to-face and online interviews, reaching a total of 504 participants across Malta.
The survey also addressed how seriously respondents felt the issue of climate change is at present. In this aspect, Maltese citizens overwhelmingly rated it as “a very serious problem,” with 93% of respondents.
The EU27 average was significantly lower, with 77% acknowledging it as “a very serious problem.”
The European Commission’s report also provided insights into the attitudes of Maltese citizens towards tackling climate change.
A significant majority (98%) agreed that tackling climate change and environmental issues should be a priority to improve public health, and 91% believed that more public financial support should be given to the transition to clean energies, even if it means reducing subsidies to fossil fuels.
On the question of responsibility for tackling climate change, 84% of Maltese respondents felt that national governments bear the burden, a sentiment much higher than the EU average of 56%. Similarly, 79% placed responsibility on the European Union, contrasting with the EU average of 56%.
Interestingly, the report revealed that 74% of Maltese citizens had taken action to fight climate change in the past six months. The most common actions included reducing waste, cutting down on disposable items, considering energy consumption when purchasing household appliances, and using environmentally-friendly transport alternatives.
Regarding the actions of the Maltese government on climate change, 77% of the respondents felt that their government is not doing enough, a figure that is relatively consistent with the report.
This report clearly illustrates the strong environmental consciousness among Maltese citizens and their commitment to combating climate change. It also highlights the need for both national and international authorities to heed these voices and take decisive action in addressing climate change.
What do you make of these statistics?