site.btaEIB Climate Survey: Good Grasp of Climate Change Consequences among Bulgarians, Room to Improve in Knowledge of Solutions

Bulgarian people have a good grasp of climate change consequences but there is room for improvement with regard to knowledge of possible solutions, the European Investment Bank (EIB) said in a report released Monday. It has the findings of the sixth edition of the EIB Climate Survey focusing on people’s knowledge of climate change in three key areas: definitions and causes, consequences, and solutions.

Participants answered 12 questions and were ranked on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 indicating the highest level of knowledge. 

With over 30 000 respondents across 35 countries, including the EU Member States, the UK, the US, China, Japan, India and Canada, the Climate Survey provides valuable insights into people’s overall understanding of climate change, says the EIB.

Key findings for Bulgaria

In a knowledge test on the causes and consequences of climate change and solutions to address it, Bulgarian respondents scored 6.10/10, placing them slightly below the EU average of 6.37/10. 

Finland leads the scoreboard with 7.22/10, followed by Luxembourg (7.19/10) and Sweden (6.96/10). 

Bulgarians are aware of the causes and consequences of climate change but there is room for improvement in their knowledge about solutions. The report mentions two examples: a large share of Bulgarian respondents did not know that reducing speed limits on roads (86%) or better insulating buildings (62%) can help combat climate change. In this regard Bulgaria is similar to most EU countries. 

As regards the understanding of the definition and causes of climate change, Bulgarians scored very close to the EU average (7.19/10 compared to 7.21/10). 

71% of Bulgarians correctly define climate change as “A long-term shift in global climate patterns”. Only 6% believe that climate change is a hoax. 

79% are aware that the main causes of climate change are human activities such as deforestation, agriculture, industry and transport. 12% think it is caused by extreme natural phenomena, such as volcanic eruptions and heatwaves, and 9% believing that climate change is caused by the ozone hole.

When asked about the three biggest greenhouse gas emitters worldwide, most Bulgarians (66%) correctly selected the United States, China and India. 34% chose an answer that did not include China.

When asked about the consequences of climate change, Bulgarians scored 7.32/10, below the EU average of 7.65/10. 

85% know that it has a negative impact on human health. 85% also correctly said that climate change is worsening world hunger by affecting crop yields due to extreme weather. 64% of Bulgarians correctly said that the global sea level is rising, but 13% said it is falling and 23% said climate change has no specific impact on the sea level. The impact of climate change on migration, with increased forced displacement worldwide, is clear for most Bulgarian respondents (58%, which is 11 percentage points below the EU average). 

In the last sub-index, Bulgarian respondents scored 3.81/10 (well below the EU average of 4.25/10), indicating significantly less knowledge of actions that can help mitigate climate change compared to the other two areas investigated. 

This highlights a general trend across EU countries, with most of them receiving low scores in this area.

Some examples:  76% know that using recyclable products can help mitigate climate change. 62% correctly said that using public transport instead of an individual car is a step in the right direction. A minority of 38% seem to know that better insulating buildings can help mitigate climate change. A quarter of respondents (25%, 17 percentage points below the EU average) are aware that buying new clothes less frequently can help as well. Very few respondents (14%, 12 percentage points below the EU average) know that reducing the speed limit on roads would help mitigate climate change. Most Bulgarians are unaware of the significant impact that digital usage has on the climate, with only 5% saying that watching fewer videos online can help. 

As the EU's climate bank, the EIB invests in key projects supporting Bulgaria's green transition. Over the last five years, the EIB Group has provided more than half a billion euros for climate change projects in Bulgaria, the EIB says. 

In 2023, the EIB financed the installation of 1,530 electric vehicle charging stations in the country to increase the market penetration of electric vehicles and fight air pollution. In 2024, the Bank signed an advisory agreement with the national energy company NEK to help it prepare the construction of two large pumped-storage hydropower plants, which will increase the stability of the power grid and allow for the integration of more renewable energy sources.

EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris is quoted as saying on the occasion of the survey’s release that “climate change can only be limited if we work together”. “It is important to identify and address the knowledge gaps found in the EIB Climate Survey,” he also said, adding that education is a powerful tool for change.