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The Greek population points to the climate crisis as the most serious problem on the planet, and as the most significant problem for their country - high prices, ANA-MPA reported. This conclusion was reached by one of the largest Greek opinion polling agencies, Metron Analysis.

The survey was funded by the country's oldest national environmental NGO, the Hellenic Society for Nature Protection (HSPN).

According to the data, 29 percent of Greeks put the climate crisis as the primary problem for the planet, and 21 percent cite the destruction of nature as such.

At the same time, when asked what are the most important problems facing Greece, first are the high prices (30 percent), then comes the economy (21 percent), and in third place is again the global problem of environmental destruction (9 percent).

People's responses show that raising public awareness of environmental issues and the climate crisis at global level does not go hand in hand with a similar level of sensitivity at national level.

"The global is not becoming local [...] Different priorities at the national level arise precisely because people perceive the problem as global rather than local. This asymmetry is contributed by the apparent lack of strong global regulatory rules and interventions, but also by the ineffectiveness of national policies, especially when the phenomena associated with the climate crisis are more severe."

This summer, the country suffered significantly from large-scale devastating fires and floods, comparable to a flood in central Greece, where the waters have not yet completely receded and people are currently struggling to cope with the damage.

The observation of the asymmetric views on the gap between global and local also applies to 2022, when 3 percent cited the destruction of the natural environment as the main national problem (instead of 9 of this year), and only 1 percent noted the climate crisis (in 2022 and in 2023).

Bad weather in Greece

The analysis also showed that eight out of 10 people (84 percent) agree that climate change is actually taking place. In 2022, the corresponding percentage was 91.

Six out of 10 (63 percent) attribute climate change to human activity, 8 percent to natural factors, and 13 percent to both.

Almost 80 percent of Greeks are significantly concerned about climate change.

The study was conducted between August 29 and September 4.

Climate change