Europeans to fly less even after Covid-19, EU bank finds

Some 43 percent of EU-27 respondents said they would do this “all the time” and 31 percent said they would “from time to time”. 26 percent said they don’t intend to fly less, or at least not anytime soon.

And 40 percent of Europeans said the easiest was “flying” if given the choice to give up one of: flying, meat, new clothes, video-streaming services, or a car, to fight climate change.

Central Europeans have an easier time giving up flying. The figure in the region is higher: in Poland (46 percent), the Czech Republic (48 percent), Hungary (48 percent), Slovakia (48 percent) and Croatia (51 percent).

Airlines are already battling a deep dip in demand due to the pandemic.

Once travel restrictions are lifted, 22 percent of Europeans say they will avoid flying, because of climate change concerns.

Some 71 percent of Europeans prefer trains to planes for trips that take five hours or less, the survey, conducted last October and November, said.

Attached to cars

Europeans seems to be very attached to their cars. Only 11 percent of European said that giving up their car would be the easiest choice to make in order to fight climate change.

People living in rural areas (51 percent) say that giving up their car would be the hardest choice, along with people in Italy (46 percent), Slovenia (46 percent), Malta (49 percent) and Luxembourg (52 percent).

Covid-19 also had an impact on public transport: 67 percent of Europeans say they are less likely to use it because they are worried about their health due to the pandemic.

This figure is particularly high in Italy (77 percent), Romania (78 percent), Portugal (80 percent) and Malta (83 percent).

Some 18 percent of Europeans say giving up video-streaming would be the easiest option, 16 percent say that giving up meat would be the easiest, and 15 percent say that giving up new clothes would be the easiest option.

Women (20 percent) are more likely to say that giving up meat would be the easiest option, compared to men (10 percent). 66 percent of Europeans said they already eat less meat for climate reasons.

People are generally more concerned about catching the virus then the affects of climate change.

However, 72 percent of European citizens believe that their own behaviour can make a difference in tackling climate change.

Last year was ranked as the hottest on record. But Covid-19 lockdowns also meant that global emissions dropped in 2020 compared with recent years.

The EU Commission is drafting new policies to curb pollution, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The EIB, the EU’s lending arm, is also mobilising investments in member states to help with the green transition.