Concerns about environmental degradation are increasingly visible in Spain. Climate change and the environment rank as the top issues for Spaniards, even above pensions, mortgages, and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Idea Barometer from the Center for Sociological Studies conducted in March. Moreover, about 80% of the population reports making changes in daily habits to help fight climate change.
The survey interviewed approximately 3,800 people between March 1 and March 11. It shows that climate change is currently the main problem for 1.8% of Spaniards, followed closely by the environment at 1.5% of respondents.
In the spontaneous ranking of the most relevant issues, climate change and the environment are more prominent than tax increases, which register about 1.6% significance.
More important than a pension
These three Spanish concerns outpace pensions, which, while still notable, fall behind at 1.3%. Distrust in politicians and institutions marks 1.2% as the biggest problem, followed by mortgages at 0.4%. Racism is cited by 0.3%, and drugs or immigration by 0.2% as the least pressing issues.
When asked about climate change, it emerges as the first issue for 0.5% of respondents, the second most important for 0.7%, and the third for 1% of the total. Taken together, climate change ranks among the top concerns for 2.2% of participants.
Regarding how worried people are about climate change, 30.5% report being very concerned, 42.1% a moderate level of worry, 17.5% somewhat worried, and 8% not worried at all.
Meanwhile, 56.4% of respondents feel that individual actions have a strong influence on climate change, 30.3% say actions have some influence, 8.5% believe there is little impact, and only 2.4% think human action has no effect.
80% made changes in their lives to prevent climate change
On reversibility, if a point is reached where warming can no longer be halted, 60.7% think warming can still be slowed enough to prevent worsening; 17.5% view the situation as irreversible, and 14.8% believe climate change is reversible.
Another finding shows that 80.3% of Spaniards have altered daily life in some way to stop or mitigate climate change over the past two years, while 18.5% have not changed their habits.
Among those who adjusted behaviors, the most publicized actions were recycling and sorting household waste at designated points, practiced by 57.6% of respondents. Stopping car use was reported by 22.1%, and reducing home energy consumption by 20%. Water usage was controlled by 13%, with 13.1% using public transportation and 6.4% choosing bicycles.
A notable pattern is that the two most common changes in the last two years—recycling at clean points and reducing waste—were adopted by 80.3% of participants, with 57.6% actively cutting landfill waste and 22.1% stopping car use.
When asked about the two most important changes in life aimed at reducing or stopping climate change, 19.7% admitted doing nothing, while 46.3% highlighted recycling and waste reduction, and 17.8% cited ceasing car use as their key change.
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