Nearly four in five Belgians believe climate change is a pressing issue that needs urgent action, but opinions vary significantly when it comes to concrete measures that affect individuals directly, a new study shows.
The latest quadrennial Climate Survey by Belgium’s Federal Public Service for Health, conducted earlier this year with over 1,600 participants, reveals that most Belgians want the climate transition to continue.
About 44% support maintaining the current pace, while 39% call for acceleration.
Broad support for lifestyle changes
Calls for a “climate pause,” championed by some political parties domestically and abroad, are not widely supported.
Two-thirds of respondents acknowledge that significant lifestyle changes will be required to address climate change. However, fairness is deemed essential: six in ten agree that major changes should be justly distributed across society.
Support for structural measures targeting industries is high. Two-thirds of Belgians endorse a carbon tax on imports to shield European businesses, and nearly as many back the EU’s goal of achieving 45% renewable energy by 2030.
Less enthusiasm for direct-impact policies
When it comes to policies that could soon have a personal impact on people, support diminishes.
Only 30% favour banning the sale of new fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2035, while 44% oppose such a measure. This is a notable shift from 2021, when 40% supported it and 28% were against.
Similarly, the new Emissions Trading System (ETS2), which will raise the cost of fossil fuels for household heating and transport from 2028, was favoured by only 29% of respondents, whereas 42% opposed it.
This was the sixth quadrennial survey conducted by the federal health ministry's Climate Change Department to gauge public knowledge, attitudes, and expectations on climate issues.
It was conducted shortly before the outbreak of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
