There was also a degree of self interest in evidence. Those aged 65 and over are more likely to support better incentives for the retrofitting of homes. This probably reflects the fact that this age cohort spends a higher proportion of income on fuel bills than younger people.
Younger people tend to be more strident when it comes to the nature of the action to be taken with those aged 18-24 more likely to support stronger penalties for major carbon-emitting industries and the investment in projects to reduce farm and landfill emissions from farms and landfill. That aligns to what has to date been mainly anecdotal evidence to suggest that young people are more engaged with climate change and want to see more vigorous action taken to tackle it.
Support for more investment in greener public transport and more incentives for EVs was more or less evenly spread across all age groups suggesting that the message in relation to transport emissions has hit home.
Overall, the results are highly encouraging. Consumers are broadly supportive of government action to address climate change. The message is clear, there is little or no political risk involved in climate action, the risk, both political and environmentally, lies in inaction.
Since the launch of the study we have seen the refresh of the NDP, with a firm focus on Ireland’s future sustainability, and we anticipate even greater scales of ambition and transformation to be set out as part of Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2021, the important carbon budgets, and the forthcoming Conference of the Parties 26 meeting in Glasgow.