The majority of Italians deemed adapting to climate change a priority, both in terms of lifestyle and of investment policy, according to an annual survey released by the European Investment Bank (EIB) recently.
Over two thirds of Italians, or 67 percent, considered climate adaptation a priority, a report conducted by the EIB shows.
The result was 17 percentage points higher than EU’s average of 50 percent.
The report was released on the sidelines of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or COP29, which kicked off in Azerbaijan’s capital city of Baku on Monday.
With their territory stretching into the Mediterranean Sea, the Italians have increasingly become familiar with exceptional rainfalls and flooding, as well as with prolonged lack of rains, drought, and heat waves during summers.
Some 89 percent of Italian respondents have experienced at least one of these extreme weather events in the last five years, nine percentage points higher than that of EU’s average, the EIB survey also showed.
On what should be done to better adapt to climate change, some 51 percent of Italians said the population should be educated to help them change their behaviours, and 47 percent of them said that the infrastructures should be prioritized and improved.
About 59 percent of Italians surveyed also acknowledged their country should do more to help developing countries adapt to the increasing impact of climate change. ■