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"Spanish society is already in change mode." This is believed by the former director of the European Environment Agency, Domingo Jiménez Beltrán, one of the coordinators of the Study of Perceptions, Values ​​and Social Attitudes sponsored by the Sustainable Development Foundation, presented last week.

"Citizens know what is happening, they know what needs to be done and they just need to be empowered to take action," warns Jiménez, who acknowledges his "surprise" to see how ecological awareness has increased in recent years. The online survey shows a shift in consumption habits: 47% recognize that their next car will be hybrid or electric, 96% are favorable to traffic restrictions in cities and 32% consider the impact caused by travel in airplane.

Pollution of the sea (97%) fires (95%), species extinction (95%) and water scarcity (94%) are the impacts that most concern Spaniards. The study divides the Spaniards between "worried" about the environmental situation (from 50 to 60%), "committed" (from 20 to 25%) and "deniers or passports" (from 5% to 20%).

Habits change

Likewise, 55% say they will change their energy consumption habits in the future and 30% consider installing solar panels. 88% practice the separation of waste at home and 78% give up plastic bags.

" We are at the climax for the change, " says Domingo Jiménez Beltrán. "We have moved from the reactive phase of the" fight "against climate change to the proactive phase of empowerment of society, which is forcing companies and governments to make the energy transition," he reflects.

Another study on the subject, published this summer by the Elcano Royal Institute, revealed that for 37% of Spaniards, climate change is the greatest threat facing the world. In addition, 19% placed it as the second most serious problem.

In the barometer of the Center for Sociological Research (CIS) last September, when asking citizens what is the problem that personally affects them most, as well as the second or third, only 0.3% mentioned environmental problems; 0.4% placed it in second place and 0.5%, in third place.

The CIS addressed the issue of climate change in more detail in its November 2018 barometer. 66.6% of Spaniards thought that the extreme droughts or floods that our country has suffered in recent years have to do with climate change , compared to 26.8% who said they are phenomena that have always occurred. On the other hand, 62.7% believe that climate change can be stopped and reversed .

Rating of politicians

They do not, however, have much confidence in the ability of politicians to solve it: 52.6% of respondents think that the parties pay little attention to the matter and 35.4% say none.

The perception that politicians do not get involved in the fight against climate change was corroborated in the January 2019 barometer, in which the CIS asked the Spaniards about issues related to sustainable development .

Among the main obstacles to achieving the objectives of sustainable development were the lack of political will (40.5%), political and institutional corruption (23.2%) and lack of social awareness in people, companies and institutions (11 ,4%).

The majority of Spaniards (40.8%) relate sustainable development to development without damaging the environment; 31.1%, with development that takes into account future generations and 24.9% with development that takes into account climate change.

On the other hand, an international survey published this week by Ipsos Global Advisor and conducted in collaboration with the Halifax International Security Forum, reveals that only 28% of Spaniards believe that their government is acting effectively against climate change. At an international and global level, 45% of the population believes that their country does what is appropriate to combat it.

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