One in five Irish people anticipates that they will have to move in the future due to climate change

One in five Irish people expect to have to move in the future because of climate change

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The majority of Irish people believe that climate solutions will lead to more employment and a better quality life.

A survey found that more than half of respondents believe that a green transition in the economy will lead to growth.

Research on Irish attitudes towards the climate crisis has revealed:

63% believe that climate policies will improve their quality life
59% believe that policies to combat climate change will create more job opportunities than they remove.
53% of respondents believe that the green transformation will provide economic growth.

However one in five people here expect to have to move to another region in the future because of climate change — a figure that increases to 39% among people aged 20-29 – while a similar number fear they could lose their job because it will become incompatible with the need to mitigate climate problems.

The results are contained in the latest release of the 2021-2022 Climate Survey conducted in September 2021 and published by the European Investment Bank (EIB), the lending arm of the European Union and the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate action projects.

Two thirds of Irish people believe that environmental changes will improve their quality of life. They also predict positive effects on their health and the food they eat.

However, 72% of respondents anticipate that their purchasing power may decrease as a result.

According to Irish respondents climate change challenges will not go away.

34% of people believe the climate emergency will be under control by 2050. However, 64% think it will still be a major problem by midcentury.

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Irish people stated that they see climate change as a threat to their homes. One-fifth of those surveyed said they expect to be forced to relocate because of climate change’s longer-term effects.

39% of those in their twenties are concerned about the possibility of having to move because climate issues could cause them to double their concern.

Irish people, particularly the younger generation, are also concerned about their job sustainability: 31% of respondents aged 20-29 fear losing their job due to incompatibility with climate change.

The Irish are aware of the behavioral changes that are required to combat climate change.

They believe that lifestyle changes that reduce carbon emissions can have a significant impact on the next 20 years.

Two-thirds of respondents believe that most people will work from home to combat climate change. One-third (35%) believes that most people will adopt a plant-based diet, and almost half (48%) predict that each person will have an energy quota.

EIB Vice-President Christian Kettel Thomsen said: “Irish people see clear opportunities in the green transition for their quality of life as well as for the job market in general. However, they are also concerned, notably the younger generation, about the long-term impact of climate change on where they live and on the sustainability of their jobs.”