Numerous eurobarometers, ecobarometers and other surveys have been devoted to revealing the concern that European citizens have for the different areas that concern us. From the economy, to the unemployment rate, through immigration and the environment, the barometers tell us what the citizens' concerns are.
In this case, according to the data collected by the PEW Research Center, The citizens of Spain are the ones who give the most importance to climate change and evaluate it as the main risk facing the country.
Concern about climate change
89% of the surveyed population considers global warming as one of the biggest current problems in Spain. In 2013 the survey was also carried out and the results were different. 64% of Spaniards feared for climate change. As we can see, the number has increased dramatically in a matter of a few years.
Increasing heat waves, high temperatures, drought, extreme weather events and other consequences of climate change are already becoming present in the consciousness and concern of many citizens.
Of the 38 countries studied for the research, 13 were those who pointed to climate change as the main challenge for their states. Although Spaniards top the ranking, concern about the impact of this phenomenon predominates in Latin America and Africa, and is also relevant for Europeans. The survey has also been conducted in northern countries, such as Russia, where only 35% of respondents think that climate change is the world's biggest concern.
The problem of concern about climate change at different spatial scales lies in the perception of citizens. Depending on the context, the day to day, the media, etc. Citizens of different countries perceive climate change in different ways. For example, Russia, being latitudinally located further north of the globe, has lower temperatures and abundant snowfall. Also, it has cold winters. Therefore, the perception of an increase in temperatures due to global warming is much smaller. On the other hand, in Spain (a country very vulnerable to climate change), the perception of increased heat waves, temperatures and drought is accentuated.
As we can see, climate change is already the greatest concern for the Spanish. Now the only thing left is for the Government to start taking measures in this regard.