The second part of the 2021-2022 EIB Climate Survey explores people’s views on climate change in a rapidly changing world. The results from this release focus on citizens’ individual behaviour and the actions they are taking to combat climate change.
- 75% of Bulgarians feel they are doing all they can to fight climate change in their daily lives, but the majority believe that their compatriots are not doing the same
- 76% of car buyers say they would pick either a hybrid or electric car the next time they purchase a vehicle, while 24% would still opt for a petrol or diesel car
- 63% of Bulgarians say they consider climate change when choosing a holiday destination
- 47% of young Bulgarians consider climate change when looking for a job
These are some of the results from the second release of the 2021-2022 Climate Survey published today by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The EIB is the lending arm of the European Union and the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate action projects.
Hybrid or electric cars more sought after than diesel or petrol vehicles
When asked about future car purchases, 76% of Bulgarian car buyers say they will either buy a hybrid or an electric car. This figure is 52 points higher than the percentage of Bulgarians who said they would buy a diesel or petrol vehicle (24%). More specifically, 40% would purchase a hybrid vehicle and 36% would opt for an electric vehicle.
A hybrid vehicle would be the favoured choice for car buyers aged above 65 (53% would buy such a vehicle) and people aged 30-64 (40%), while it would be the least favoured option for people aged 15 to 29 (only 28% of them would buy a hybrid car). Bulgarian car buyers under 30 would favour a petrol or diesel car instead (37%), while a petrol/diesel vehicle would be the least favoured option for people aged 30-64 (23%) and people older than 65 (14%). Car buyers aged 30-64 are the most inclined to buy an electric car (38% of them would opt for this type of vehicle, compared to 34% of people under 30 and 33% of people older than 65).
Meanwhile, 18% of Bulgarians overall say they do not have a vehicle now and are not planning to buy one (five points above the EU average).
With 76% of them opting for a hybrid or electric vehicle, Bulgarian car buyers seem less inclined to switch to new car technologies when compared to Romanian car buyers (81%). However, the figure for Bulgarians is five points above the Eastern European average (71%). Bulgarian car buyers also seem more inclined to purchase a hybrid or electric car than the French (61%) or Germans (52%).
More specifically, Bulgarian car buyers (40%) seem as inclined to choose a hybrid car as French car buyers (38%) and Eastern Europeans (42%). However, the figure for Bulgarians is five points lower than the figure for Romanian car buyers (45%) and 12 points higher than the figure for Germans (28%).
Bulgarian car buyers seem equally inclined to opt for an electric car (36%) compared to Romanians (36%). Meanwhile, Eastern Europeans on average (30%), French car buyers (23%) and Germans (23%) seem to find electric cars less attractive.
In general, European car buyers tend to favour hybrid vehicles (39%), while petrol or diesel vehicles are ranked second (33%) and electric cars come third (28% state they would purchase an electric car). While Chinese car buyers are the most inclined to buy an electric car (44%), Americans would opt first for a hybrid vehicle (38%), followed by a petrol or diesel vehicle (33%), then an electric car (29%).
Climate protection versus flying for holidays
63% of Bulgarians say they consider climate change when choosing their holiday destination. This concern is equally strong amongst people younger than 30 (63%). However, more than one-third of young people (38%, compared to 23% for people aged 30-64 and 19% for people aged 65 and above) say they will fly for their summer holidays in 2022. One-quarter of them (25%, compared to 11% for people aged 30-64 and 3% for people aged 65 and above) say they will fly to a faraway destination.
Choosing a job, deciding on a bank: how climate considerations affect people’s decisions
43% of Bulgarian people consider climate change when searching for a job. This is of equal importance across all age groups: 47% of 15-64 year-olds take climate change into consideration when job hunting.
Overall, 39% of Bulgarians consider climate change when they choose their bank or invest their savings.
EIB Vice-President Lilyana Pavlova said: “Despite some clear generational gaps, Bulgarian people are increasingly adapting their mobility and consumption habits in a more sustainable manner to tackle climate change. These shifts in individual behaviour show that people of all ages are willing to make stronger commitments in their daily lives to help mitigate the climate crisis. These intentions are a clear indicator of support for our efforts to support the green transition. As the EU climate bank, one of the EIB’s key roles is to finance innovative projects that focus on electric mobility as well as other sustainable mobility solutions that help build a decarbonised future for all.”
Download the Excel spreadsheet with the raw data for all 30 countries surveyed here. Please click here to access the EIB webpage presenting key findings of the EIB Climate Survey IV.
Background information
About the EIB Climate Survey
The European Investment Bank has launched the fourth edition of the EIB Climate Survey, a thorough assessment of how people feel about climate change. Conducted in partnership with market research firm BVA, the fourth edition of the EIB Climate Survey aims to inform the broader debate on attitudes and expectations in terms of climate action. More than 30 000 respondents participated in the survey between 26 August and 22 September 2021, with a representative panel for each of the 30 countries polled.
About the European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union and is owned by the EU Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals both in Europe and beyond. The European Investment Bank is active in around 160 countries and is the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate action projects. The EIB Group has recently adopted its Climate Bank Roadmap to deliver on its ambitious agenda to support €1 trillion of climate action and environmental sustainability investments in the decade to 2030 and to deliver more than 50% of EIB finance for climate action and environmental sustainability by 2025. As part of the roadmap, all new EIB Group operations have also been aligned with the goals and principles of the Paris Agreement since the start of 2021.
About BVA
BVA is an opinion research and consulting firm recognised as one of the most innovative market research firms in its sector. Specialised in behavioural marketing, BVA combines data science and social science to make data inspiring and bring it to life. BVA is also a member of the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN), a global network of some of the world’s leading market research and survey players, with over 40 members.