ADEME Annual barometer: the French and the environment
Source: ADEME
A few days before the COP 26,ADEME unveils the results of its annual barometer "Social representations of climate change" conducted among 2700 people.
64% of French people would accept major changes in their lifestyles if they were applied fairly to all members of society!
The barometer shows that individual environmental practices are increasing and accelerating this year:
🔸 70% of French people say they lower the temperature of their homes by 2 or 3°C in winter or limit air conditioning to 26°C in summer 🌡
🔸 53% say they limit their meat consumption 🥕
🔸 27% of French people already say they boycott products or companies to fight climate change 👊
🟢 These figures show that the French population is becoming significantly more aware of the challenges of the ecological transition.
Download the complete files: https://librairie.ademe.fr/changement-climatique-et-energie/4998-representations-sociales-du-changement-climatique-22-eme-vague-du-barometre.html
CLIMATE CHANGE: THE FRENCH ARE INCREASINGLY COMMITTED AND IN FAVOUR OF STRONG PUBLIC POLICY MEASURES
A few days before the COP 26, ADEME unveils the results of its annual barometer "Social representations of climate change". As it has done every year since 2000, ADEME conducts this survey in the form of a poll administered to a representative sample of the French population. For the 22nd edition, the survey was carried out among a sample of 1560 people aged 15 and over and an oversample of 1139 people aged 55 and over. Despite the current crisis, the ecological transition remains thesecond most important concern of the French, who are aware of the need to adapt their territories and are inclined to make their daily lives more responsible.
The challenges of the ecological transition in the main concerns of the French
The environment remains one of the main concerns of the French, behind public health, and at a similar level to employment, security and immigration.
In order to deal with climate change, 64% of French people would accept major changes in their l ifestyles provided that they are applied fairly to all members of society. Furthermore, individual practices in favour of the environment are increasing and accelerating this year, particularly with regard to consumption and energy saving practices in the home. We note that 58% of French people say they " consume less ", which is 10 points more than in 2020, 70% say they lower the temperature in their homes by 2 or 3°C in winter or limit air conditioning to 26°C in summer (+9pts) and 53% say they limit their meat consumption (+7pts).
Individual mobilisation can also be observed through civic engagement : 27% of French people already declare that they boycott products or companies to fight against climate change (and 50% could do so). They are also more involved in environmental associations (10%) and some of them say they have already taken part in a civil disobedience action (8%).
The French in favour of strong public policy measures
The State is expected to play an important role in limiting climate change. For example, the French maintain their preference for an economic policy that reorients the economy by exclusively supporting activities that preserve the environment, health and social cohesion (60%, +3pts) rather than boosting the economy by all means in order to revive activity as soon as possible (40%). Among the measures designed to combat global warming, " the increase in the carbon tax " obtained 51% of favourable opinions. And when a social condition ("that it does not penalise the purchasing power of middle and lower class households") and a clear allocation ("that the revenue from the tax be used to finance ecological transition measures, particularly in the territories") are proposed, the percentage of "favourable" respondents is much higher: 72%.
But in a context where 80% of French people believe that their territory will be obliged to take measures in the coming decades to adapt to new climatic conditions, it is the local actors, such as associations and local authorities, who are considered to be the most active on a daily basis.
Incontrast tothe younger generations, seniors are more sceptical about the reality of climate change and in particular its anthropogenic nature. However, they remain aware of the seriousness of the problem. For example, 83% of them consider climate change to be a very or fairly serious problem for future generations. The transition to retirement brings about some timid, albeit virtuous, changes, mainly in food consumption. However, retired women seem to change their practices more than men: 66% versus 50% of men buy less ready-made meals, 60% consume less meat, versus 39% of men, 51% use the car less, versus 35% of men, and 53% buy less new clothes, versus 26% of men.Retired people are very attached to their cars: a large majority do not plan to give them up (72%), and they are more likely to plan to renovate and/or adapt their homes to stay in them as long as possible rather than move.