'One in two' in Denmark willing to change lifestyle for climate
More than half of Denmark’s population would be willing to change their daily habits to limit climate change, a new survey has found.
A survey conducted by the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies (Instituttet fra Fremtidsforskning) and Epionion found that over one in two people would be prepared to change some of their daily habits if it were to help reduce climate change.
The report shows that 62 percent of those who answered the survey in Denmark are concerned about climate change and are therefore willing to change their way of life to fight it.
In the survey, 55 percent said they were “to a high degree” or “to a very high degree” ready to change the way they live to reduce climate change. 45 percent were “to a low degree” or not willing.
The report also concludes that around one in five can be considered to have a relatively sustainable lifestyle, although many more said they would like to have sustainable consumer habits.
According to the report two distinct segments live relatively sustainably. These are termed “the green consumer” and “the green climate objector”.
The former segment contains, for example, “the young vegetarian who cycles to their place of study and does not drive a car or fly, and almost never buys clothes.” 14 percent were found to fit with this category.
In the second segment, green “climate objectors”, include “pensioners who do not wish to do anything for the climate but have a small CO2 footprint compared to the highest-emission segments”, the report states.
Although most people are prepared to change some activities to benefit the climate, fewer are willing to incur extra costs to do so.
Between 30 or 40 percent said they would pay a CO2 tax of 100 dollars per tonnes of CO2 emission on meat, petrol and heating.
Another group was identified in the report as the “more opinion than action” segment. This refers to people who said they were concerned about climate change and prepared to take action on it, but have high emissions based on their consumer habits.
This group contains a high proportion of people with higher education background and higher incomes, and comprises 42 percent of all those who responded to the Danish survey.
A fourth segment is termed “not willing to change”, comprising 37 percent of those who responded. This group does not have sustainable consumer habits and does not want to make any changes that might reduce climate change.
The report is based on a survey to which a representative cross-section of Danes responded, news wire Ritzau writes.
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A survey conducted by the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies (Instituttet fra Fremtidsforskning) and Epionion found that over one in two people would be prepared to change some of their daily habits if it were to help reduce climate change.
The report shows that 62 percent of those who answered the survey in Denmark are concerned about climate change and are therefore willing to change their way of life to fight it.
In the survey, 55 percent said they were “to a high degree” or “to a very high degree” ready to change the way they live to reduce climate change. 45 percent were “to a low degree” or not willing.
The report also concludes that around one in five can be considered to have a relatively sustainable lifestyle, although many more said they would like to have sustainable consumer habits.
According to the report two distinct segments live relatively sustainably. These are termed “the green consumer” and “the green climate objector”.
The former segment contains, for example, “the young vegetarian who cycles to their place of study and does not drive a car or fly, and almost never buys clothes.” 14 percent were found to fit with this category.
In the second segment, green “climate objectors”, include “pensioners who do not wish to do anything for the climate but have a small CO2 footprint compared to the highest-emission segments”, the report states.
Although most people are prepared to change some activities to benefit the climate, fewer are willing to incur extra costs to do so.
Between 30 or 40 percent said they would pay a CO2 tax of 100 dollars per tonnes of CO2 emission on meat, petrol and heating.
Another group was identified in the report as the “more opinion than action” segment. This refers to people who said they were concerned about climate change and prepared to take action on it, but have high emissions based on their consumer habits.
This group contains a high proportion of people with higher education background and higher incomes, and comprises 42 percent of all those who responded to the Danish survey.
A fourth segment is termed “not willing to change”, comprising 37 percent of those who responded. This group does not have sustainable consumer habits and does not want to make any changes that might reduce climate change.
The report is based on a survey to which a representative cross-section of Danes responded, news wire Ritzau writes.
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