Opinion poll: Overwhelming majority of Poles choose renewable energy over coal and nuclear

Transcription

1 Opinion poll: Overwhelming majority of Poles choose renewable energy over coal and nuclear Summary 89% percent of Polish citizens want more energy coming from renewable sources. This is based on an public opinion poll. Moreover, more than two-thirds of Polish people (70%) want energy policy supporting the development of renewable energy. This is compared to coal and lignite support (18%) and nuclear energy support (16%). Finally, 73% of Polish people would like the Polish government to be more involved in preventing the negative effects of climate change. The poll was conducted between the 2nd and 11th of October, 2013, by the Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS) 1 using a nationwide, representative and random sample of adult Poles (+18) based on the CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing) quantitative research method commissioned by Greenpeace Poland. A total of 1,066 respondents were interviewed. The results show very strong public support for renewable energy and climate action. It further indicates that there is a big difference between what Polish citizens want and what the Polish government is pushing: Coal. Methodology Greenpeace commissioned the Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS) 2 to conduct an opinion poll based on three questions. The questions were asked to a nationwide, representative and random sample of 1,066 adult Poles (18 years old and above). The sample parameters correspond with the basic features of the socio-demographic structure of Poles, including gender, age, education, social and professional group, employment status (employed and unemployed), financial status, size of the place of residence according to the population and the region of the residence of the respondents. The poll was based on the CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing) quantitative research method. The general results of the poll represent the distribution of the opinions of Polish people with the maximum ca.3% margin of error and a 95% confidence level consistent with the best practice for such research. Results Question 1: Would you like more energy in Poland to come from renewable sources? 57% of the people answered with a strong definite yes while 32% with rather yes. Altogether 89% of the respondents are in favor of an increased share of renewable energy. There was no big split between women (52% said definitely yes, 35% said rather yes, which gives an 2 The Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS), established in 1982, is a publicly funded independent research centre. It is one of the largest and most renowned public opinion research institutes in Poland. The director of CBOS is a member of the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR). Among the CBOS s clients are the scientific and research institutions, like the universities or the Polish Academy of Sciences, NGOs, commercial companies and public institutions like the ministries, parliament, embassies or the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland. Greenpeace Germany Greenpeace International Web: Hongkongstraße 10 Ottho Heldringstraat 5 Press Desk Hotline +31 (0) Hamburg 1066 AZ Amsterdam General media enquiries Germany The Netherlands pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org Tel: +49 (0) Tel: +31 (0) Author/ V.i.S.d.P. Kaisa Kosonen

2 overall 87% support among women) and men (62% said definitely yes, 29% gave a positive response, which gives an overall 91% support among men). Up to two-thirds of people younger than 55 years gave a definite yes. There is also massive support for renewable energy in the cities (in total 92% gave definite yes or positive response) and rural areas (in total 87% gave definite yes or positive response). Differences in income levels do not appear to be a vital factor in their support of renewable energy. Question 1: Wind, sun energy, biomass, are renewable sources of energy, called clean or green energy. Would you like more energy in Poland to come from renewable sources? 3% 1% 7% DeEinitely yes Rather yes 32% 57% Rather no DeEinitely no Hard to say Question 2: In your opinion, what kind of energy policy should be primarily conducted in Poland in the near future? Respondents could choose one or two of the following choices: coal and lignite; nuclear energy; oil and gas (shale or natural); renewable sources (i.e. wind, water, sunlight, biomass, geothermal); saving energy; Hard to say. 70% want policy based on renewable energy while 40% want policy geared towards more energy savings. Only a minority of 18% chose coal and lignite, nuclear was only supported by 16% and support for oil and gas was only 23%. Support for coal and lignite (17%) or nuclear energy (9%) in the countryside is also minimal. Question 2: In your opinion, what kind of energy policy should be primarily conducted in Poland in the near future? Using: 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 18% 16% 23% 70% 40% 5% coal and lignite nuclear energy oil and gas (shale or natural) renewable sources and resources (like wind, water, sunlight, biomas, geothermy) saving energy Hard to say

3 Question 3: Scientists and climatologists working for the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) coming from different UN member countries, including Poland, examine the issue of climate change, its causes and effects, and present possible actions with the goal of preventing these effects. Would you like Poland to be more involved in actions to prevent negative effects of climate change or not? 32% of the people surveyed said definitely yes, 42% or gave a positive response which adds up to 74% in the overall support. 11% said it s hard to say. 3 Question 3. Scientists, climatologists, working for the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), coming from different UN member countries including Poland examine the issue of climate change, its causes and effects, and present possible actions 0% 4% 11% 11% 41% 32% DeEinitely yes Rather yes Rather no DeEinitely no Hard to say Refusal to answer Conclusion The results indicate massive public support for increased renewable energy production, strong renewable energy policy, increased energy savings and more active climate action by the Polish government to avoid dangerous climate change. Support for coal, nuclear and other fossil fuels, on the other hand, is relatively low. The option to choose up to two answers for Question 2 reveals that as many as 28% of the surveyed chose both the renewable energy and energy savings solution, while less than 4% chose a fossil fuel cluster (coal and lignite, oil and gas options) 4. Only 1% chose coal and lignite, together with nuclear energy. This means that close to one-third of the Poles support a combination of strong renewable energy and energy savings policy, making it the most supported energy policy option. The poll also suggests a marked increase of support for renewable energy and energy savings compared to a similar poll conducted by CBOS in 2010 for the Institute for Sustainable 3 In case of the questions in which the respondent could choose only one answer the general results (in %) might sum up to 99% or 101% (instead of the exact 100%) due to the rounding to integers. 4 Greenpeace provides further information on the data based on which these results are drawn upon request.

4 Development. 5 In the previous poll, support for the renewable energy based policy was at 56% and energy saving was only 11% 6 compared to the recent poll where renewable energy and energy savings enjoys support levels of 74% and 40% respectively. Overall, the poll reveals the huge disparity between what the Polish citizens want and the Polish government s continuous support and promotion of a coal based energy mix. The government not only lacks a renewable law but single-handedly tries to block more ambitious climate goals at the EU level. Greenpeace recently released the [e]nergy revolution (ER) 7 scenario that outlines the steps for Poland to massively scale up the share of renewable energy, increase energy savings and get rid of its addiction to coal (for which the import trend is growing). Clean energy solutions that can eliminate the dominance of dirty energy are not only available today but are technically and economically feasible. Embracing clean energy today brings the government closer to the future Polish people want. It is time for Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his government to put in the missing ingredient: the strong political will to act to phase out fossil and phase in renewable energy. 5 On the ecological awareness of the Poles, a research by CBOS, Warsaw 2010, link: 6 The methodological difference between these similar questions asked in the two researches is that in the 2013 poll the multiple (double) choice has been allowed, whereas in 2010 the surveyed could choose only one energy solution they prefer. Nonetheless, the growing support for the renewable energy in Poland has been observed by CBOS already since 2009 based also on the single choice questions. See the link above, p [R]ewolucja energetyczna dla Polski, Greenpeace Poland, Warsaw

5 Annex 1: The tables of the socio-demographic variables The numbers in the tables are rounded to integers. The first line (In general) of each table presents a proportional (%) distribution of the opinion in the whole researched population. The following lines present the consecutive distributions according to the particular sociodemographic features. Question 1 Table (q143) E1. Wind, sun energy, biomass, are renewable sources of energy, called clean or green energy. Would you like more energy in Poland to come from renewable sources? Definitely yes Rather yes Rather no Definitely no Hard to say % % % % % Number of people In general Sex Men Women Age and more Country Town to Place of residence and more Dolnośląskie Kujawsko-pomorskie Lubelskie Lubuskie Łódzkie Małopolskie Mazowieckie Voivodeship Opolskie Podkarpackie Podlaskie Pomorskie Śląskie Świętokrzyskie Warmińsko-mazurskie Wielkopolskie Zachodniopomorskie Primary Education Vocational Secondary Higher education Managers, specialists with higher education Middle personnel, technicians Administration, office workers Services Social and professional Qualified workers group Unqualified workers Farmers Self-employed Pensioners Retired Pupils and students Unemployed Assessment of personal financial condition Income per person Housewives and others Poor Average Good Up to 500 zł

6 Interest in politics Participation in religious practices Independent of religious practice, you consider yourself: Over 1500 zł very big you follow in detail almost everything big you follow quite carefully what is happening in politics average you follow only main events little, negligible you are often not up to date even with main events none you are practically not interested at all you would describe it differently A few times a week Once a week a month A few times a year You don t participate A strong believer A believer Rather a non-believer A non-believer Question 2 Table ( q144i1_q144i7) In your opinion, what kind of energy policy should be primarily conducted in Poland in the near future? Using: coal and lignite nuclear energy oil and gas (shale or natural) renewa ble sources and resourc es (like wind, water... ) saving energy Hard to say % % % % % % In general Sex Men Women Age and more Country Town to Place of residence and more Dolnośląskie Kujawsko-pomorskie Lubelskie Lubuskie Łódzkie Małopolskie Mazowieckie Voivodeship Opolskie Podkarpackie Podlaskie Pomorskie Śląskie Świętokrzyskie Warmińsko-mazurskie Wielkopolskie Zachodniopomorskie Primary Education Vocational Secondary Higher education Num ber of peopl e

7 Social and professional group Assessment of personal financial condition Income per person Interest in politics Participation in religious practices Independent of religious practice, you consider yourself: Managers, specialists with higher education Middle personnel, technicians Administration, office worker Services Qualified workers Unqualified workers Farmers Self-employed Pensioners Retired Pupils and students Unemployed Housewives and others Poor Average Good Up to 500 zł Over 1500 zł very big you follow in detail almost everything big you follow quite carefully what is happening in politics average you follow only main events little, negligible you are often not up to date even with main events none you are practically not interested at all you would describe it differently A few times a week Once a week a month A few times a year You don t participate a strong believer a believer rather a non-believer a non-believer

8 Question 3 Table (q146) E3. Scientists, climatologists, working for the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), coming from different countries which are UN members, also Poland, examine the issue of climate change, its causes and effects and present possible actions with the goal of preventing these effects. Would you like Poland to be more involved in actions to prevent negative effects of climate change or not? Number of people Definitely yes Rather yes Rather no Definitely no Hard to say Refusal to answer % % % % % % In general Sex Men Women Age and more Country Town to Place of residence and more Dolnośląskie Kujawsko-pomorskie Lubelskie Lubuskie Łódzkie Małopolskie Mazowieckie Opolskie Voivodeship Podkarpackie Podlaskie Pomorskie Śląskie Świętokrzyskie Warmińskomazurskie Wielkopolskie Zachodniopomorskie Primary Education Vocational Secondary Higher education Managers, specialists with higher education Middle personnel, technicians Administration, office workers Services Social and Qualified workers professional group Unqualified workers Farmers Self-employed Pensioners Retired Pupils and students Unemployed Housewives and others Assessment of Poor personal financial Average condition Good Up to 500 zł Income per person Over 1500 zł very big you follow Interest in politics in detail almost everything

9 Participation in religious pratices Independent of religious practice, you consider yourself: big you follow quite carefully what is happening in politics average you follow only main events little, negligible you are often not up to date even with main events none you are practically not interested at all you would describe it differently A few times a week Once a week a month A few times a year You don t participate a strong believer a believer rather a non-believer a non-believer