EU-DIGEST

Latest report on European attitudes towards the issue of biodiversity

Only a minority of respondents in all Member States disagreed that it was either our moral obligation to slow down the speed of biodiversity loss or that it would be important to halt the loss as it could cause a decrease in our well-being and the quality of life. Maltese and Greek interviewees, (85% and 84%, respectively), were the most likely to strongly agree that it was important to halt biodiversity loss simply because it was our moral obligation as stewards of nature. In almost all other Member States, a majority of respondents also strongly agreed with this statement, the exceptions being the Netherlands and Sweden, where slightly less than half of respondents strongly agreed that it was a moral obligation (47% and 48%, respectively). Respondents from Malta and Greece (80% and 78%, respectively), were also the most likely to strongly agree that it would be important to slow down the current speed of biodiversity loss because the levels of well being and the quality of life would deteriorate as a consequence of biodiversity loss. The Dutch respondents were again the least likely to strongly agree with this statement (30%).Biodiversity loss at a global level was considered to be more important than biodiversity loss at a national level. Almost seven out of 10 EU citizens thought that the decline and possible extinction of animal species, natural habitats and ecosystems were very serious global problems.

Labels: Environment: climate change, EU, Eurobarometer