Q. When people talk about "the environment",
which of the following do you think of first?
EUROBAROMETER
22%
Pollution in towns
and cities
Attitudes of European citizens
towards the environment
26%
19%
Climate change
9%
13%
Green and pleasant
landscapes
Results for Latvia
Fieldwork: 14th November - 11th December 2007
Publication: March 2008
17%
12%
Protecting nature
12%
This survey reveals that Europeans are
increasingly concerned about the environment,
but still reluctant to take individual action to
protect it
12%
The state of the environment
our children will inherit
13%
8%
Man-made disasters such as
oil spills, industrial accidents
7%
5%
The quality of life
where you live
Earthquakes, floods and
other natural disasters
Using up natural
resources
8%
4%
2%
3%
3%
None of these 1%
(SPONTANEOUS) 0%
Others 0%
(SPONTANEOUS)
2%
Don't
know
EU27
1%
1%
LV
Latvians, like the average European, are most likely to associate “the environment” with
pollution in towns and cities. They are, however, considerably less likely to mention climate
change and more likely to cite green and pleasant landscapes than their fellow Europeans.
1
EUROBAROMETER
Number of Interviews: 26,730
Fieldwork Dates: 9th November - 14th December 2007
EU27
Attitudes of European citizens
towards the environment
Number of Interviews: 1,009
Fieldwork Dates: 14th November - 11th December 2007
LV
1. Environment in citizens’ lives
Q. From the following list, please pick the five main environmental
issues that you are worried about?
57%
Climate change
38%
Water pollution (seas, rivers,
lakes and underground sources)
Option: Environmental problems have a direct effect on your daily life
42%
55%
Air pollution
40%
41%
Man made disasters (major oil
spills or industrial accidents, etc.)
39%
40%
Natural disasters (earthquakes,
floods, etc.)
32%
24%
The impact on our health of
chemicals used in everyday products
32%
19%
EU27
outer pie
LV
inner pie
41%
37%
Agricultural pollution (use of
pesticides, fertilizers, etc.)
23%
22%
The use of genetically modified
organisms in farming
Three-quarters of Latvians say that environmental problems influence their daily lives. This
figure is slightly below the EU average and, as a consequence, somewhat more Latvians
than Europeans taken together say that they do not experience the consequences of
environmental problems.
20%
26%
Urban problems (traffic jams,
pollution, lack of green spaces, etc.)
Impact of current transport modes
(more cars, more motorways,
more air traffic, etc.)
15%
13%
Q. Have you done any of the following during the past month for
environmental reasons?
12%
10%
Separated most of your waste for
recycling
11%
7%
Our consumption habits
8%
6%
Noise pollution
47%
23%
Cut down your water consumption
(for example not leaving water
running when washing the dishes
or taking a shower, etc.)
37%
24%
Reduced the consumption of
disposable items (for example plastic
bags, certain kind of packaging, etc.)
Q. Please tell me whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to
disagree or totally disagree with the following statement: You are ready to
buy environmentally friendly products even if they cost a little bit more?
30%
22%
Chosen an environmentally friendly
way of traveling (by foot, bicycle,
public transport)
6%
25%
4%
59%
25%
Cut down your energy consumption
(for example turning down air conditioning
or heating, not leaving appliances on
stand-by, buying energy saving light bulbs,
buying energy efficient appliances, etc.)
The main environmental concern in Latvia seems to be water pollution, with significantly
more Latvians than their fellow Europeans mentioning it. Whilst climate change worries
the average European most, considerably fewer Latvians mention it. In fact, the impact of
chemicals on people’s health as well as man made disasters are of greater concern in
Latvia than climate change. Finally, Latvians are significantly more likely to be worried
about the growing volume of waste than their fellow Europeans.
37%
Chosen locally produced products
or groceries
Totally agree
Tend to agree
TOTAL disagree
Don't know
34%
28%
21%
49%
Bought environmentally friendly products
marked with an environmental label
17%
16%
Used my car less
17%
10%
45%
EU27
outer pie
LV
inner pie
50%
Total Agree
Totally agree
Tend to agree
TOTAL disagree
Don't know
37%
24%
23%
16%
17%
30%
45%
26%
Loss in biodiversity (extinction of
species, loss of wildlife and habitats)
19%
2%
23%
14%
Growing waste
LV
3%
41%
Depletion of natural resources
EU27
Q. For each of the following statements, please tell me whether you
totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree…?
9%
10%
None of these (SPONTANEOUS)
Education (End of)
15-
16-19
20+
Still Studying
EU27
65%
76%
84%
79%
LV
73%
77%
86%
81%
EU27
LV
Others (SPONTANEOUS) 0%
0%
Don't know
2%
2%
Latvians are as likely as the average European to spontaneously say that they have not
done anything for environmental reasons in the month prior to this survey. However,
Latvians tend to take different measures than the average European. They are most likely
of all – and significantly more likely than the average European – to have bought local
products. On the other hand, Latvians are significantly less likely to recycle their waste
than the average European. This measure ranks first in the EU as a whole.
Latvians are slightly more likely than the average European to say they are ready to buy
environmentally friendly products. As in the EU as a whole, the level of education, which
also tends to reflect the standard of living of respondents, plays a role in Latvian opinion:
those who spent the longest time in full-time education are significantly more likely to be
“green consumers” than those who studied for shorter periods.
2
EUROBAROMETER
Number of Interviews: 26,730
Fieldwork Dates: 9th November - 14th December 2007
EU27
Attitudes of European citizens
towards the environment
Number of Interviews: 1,009
Fieldwork Dates: 14th November - 11th December 2007
LV
2. Environment in public life and decision making
Q. In your opinion, to what extent do the following factors
influence your "quality of life"?
Q. When it comes to protecting the environment, do you think
that decisions should be made by the (NATIONALITY) Government, or
made jointly within the European Union?
Economic factors
13%
7%
5%
84%
92%
2%
28%
(NATIONALITY) Government
38%
State of the environment
Jointly within the EU
18%
19%
80%
80%
60%
Don't know
67%
Social factors
20%
76%
11%
EU27
Do not influence
87%
EU27
outer pie
LV
inner pie
Influence
LV
In line with the EU as a whole, the largest segment of the Latvian poll supports decisionmaking on environmental affairs jointly within the EU. Latvians are, however, significantly
more inclined to opt for national decision-making by their Government compared to their
fellow Europeans.
An overwhelming majority of Latvians, like most Europeans, believe that economic and
social factors as well as the state of the environment, affect their quality of life. However,
Latvians believe that economic and social factors influence their lives to a greater extent
than the average European, while the result for Latvia regarding the state of the
environment is on a par with that seen for the EU as a whole.
Q. In your opinion, which of the following would be the most
effective way(s) of tackling environmental problems?
Introducing heavier
fines for offenders
Q. For each of the following statements, please tell me whether you
totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree…?
37%
43%
Ensuring better enforcement of
existing environmental legislation
European environmental legislation is necessary for
protecting the environment in (OUR COUNTRY)
11%
12%
82%
83%
The EU should assist non-EU countries
to improve their environmental standards
EU27
30%
25%
Offering higher financial incentives
(e.g.: tax breaks, subsidies) to industry,
commerce and to citizens who protect
the environment
29%
25%
25%
32%
Introducing and increasing taxation
on environmentally damaging
activities
The EU should allocate more money to the protection of environment,
even if this means that less money is spent on other areas.
13%
18%
Providing more information
on environmental issues
Introducing stricter
environmental legislation
80%
78%
13%
14%
33%
31%
78%
75%
14%
16%
None of these (SPONTANEOUS)
1%
1%
Others (SPONTANEOUS)
0%
1%
EU27
Total “Disagree”
Total “Agree”
LV
LV
Don't know
4%
2%
As the average European, Latvians are most likely to see introducing heavier fines for
offenders as the most effective way of tackling environmental problems. In second place,
introducing stricter environmental legislation is seen as an efficient measure by Latvians.
This action ranks only fifth in the EU as a whole.
There is strong support in Latvia for European environment policies, in terms of common
European legislation, the EU’s help for non-EU countries and higher budget shares for
environmental protection in the EU. The figures for Latvia regarding all three actions are
broadly in line with the EU averages.
3
EUROBAROMETER
Number of Interviews: 26,730
Fieldwork Dates: 9th November - 14th December 2007
EU27
Attitudes of European citizens
towards the environment
Number of Interviews: 1,009
Fieldwork Dates: 14th November - 11th December 2007
LV
3. Information about the environment
Q. In general, how informed do you feel about environmental issues?
9%
Q. Do you think that current labels on products allow you to identify
those products that are genuinely environmentally friendly?
3% 5%
6%
13%
1%
5%
7%
Very well informed
19%
Fairly well informed
40%
33%
4%
11%
47%
Very badly informed
Yes, to some extent
38%
29%
Don't know
EU27
outer pie
EU27
outer pie
LV
inner pie
LV
inner pie
Total Yes
Gender
Male
Female
EU27
57%
53%
LV
54%
50%
15-24
25-39
40-54
55+
EU27
54%
57%
57%
54%
LV
57%
49%
53%
50%
Yes, certainly
28%
Fairly badly informed
50%
Total Informed
12%
No, not really
No, not at all
40%
Don't know
Gender
Male
Female
50%
52%
39%
39%
15-24
25-39
40-54
55+
EU27
56%
56%
51%
46%
LV
51%
42%
35%
29%
15-
16-19
EU27
LV
Age
Age
Education (End of)
Education (End of)
15-
16-19
20+
Still Studying
20+
Still Studying
EU27
44%
54%
68%
61%
EU27
46%
53%
54%
56%
LV
48%
50%
52%
65%
LV
36%
36%
38%
52%
Latvians seem to have greater difficulty identifying environmental products by their labels
than the average European. More than half of Latvians say they are not able to do so, while
the pattern is reversed in the EU as a whole. In line with the EU as a whole, young Latvians
are most likely of all to recognise “green products”. The level of education does not
influence Latvian opinion, whereas in the EU as a whole, the respondents’ level of
education seems to play a significant role.
Latvians are more likely than the average European to feel uninformed about
environmental issues; even if the majority of Latvians say they feel well informed. Latvian
males, young people and those who stayed longer in education are most likely to feel
informed. Patterns by age and the level of education correspond with those seen in the EU
in general.
Q. From the following list, who do you trust most when it comes to environmental issues?
49%
36%
40%
36%
31%
22%
18%
13%
5%
Environmental Scientists
protection
associations
(Greenpeace,
World
Wildlife
Fund, etc.)
Television
16%
9%
11%
Consumer International Newspapers
associations organisations
and other (United Nations,
etc.)
citizens’
organisations
10%
5%
European
Union
9%
8%
3%
National
government
8%
3%
5%
7% 9%
Teachers
Political
Relatives\
at school
parties
family\
standing for or university neighbours\
environment
friends\
(Greens, etc.)
colleagues
12%
6%
3%
Regional\
local
government
5%
The radio
EU27 LV
In particular, Latvians trust scientists as a reliable source of environmental information, with television following in second place. These sources
are considered to be significantly more trustworthy in Latvia than in the EU as a whole. Environmental protection associations that rank first in the
EU only come third in Latvia.
The complete data set of this survey can be found in the
Special Eurobarometer report "Attitudes of European citizens towards the environment"
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_295_en.pdf
4
2% 1%
2% 3%
Companies
Trade
unions