Illustrative stock photo (source: SITA)
Almost 70 percent of Slovaks are worried about climate change. One-fifth of respondents consider it one of the most important problems of our time.
This stems from a poll ordered by the Slovak Climate Agency and conducted by the Focus polling agency on 1,009 respondents between October 20 and 27.
The coordinator of the initiative, Kateřina Chajdiaková, thinks the poll confirms that Slovaks are aware of the seriousness of climate change and they can quite precisely identify some possible solutions.
“On the other hand, the bad news is that despite that, we do not believe that we can fulfil the given aims, such as carbon neutrality,” she said, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
Solutions for energy conservation
About 41 percent of respondents think that better protection of the environment through a reduction of CO2 emissions along with the protection of underground water and forests would mitigate the consequences of climate change.
About a quarter of those polled (26 percent) noted that the greater use of renewable sources of energy, such as wind, water or solar energy, contribute the most to solving climate change.
14 percent of respondents opined that the solution lies in the improvement of energy conservation in buildings through additional thermal insulation or the construction of passive houses.
The same number of respondents opined that funding and financial contributions towards those that lack energy resources may help.
Sceptical about carbon neutrality
More than half of the respondents are sceptical about Slovakia's ambition to become a carbon-neutral country by 2050 (55 percent). About one-third of those asked think that this aim is reachable and 14 percent could not answer.
The Slovak Climate Initiative says the stance politicians take on carbon neutrality is important.
“We need clear leadership and concrete acts,” Chajdiaková said, as quoted by TASR. “Now it is up to those who decide on things to convince people that the goals set by Slovakia are realistic and achievable.”
