Three-quarters of Dutch adults worry about impact of climate change

Thirty-four percent of adults are very concerned about climate change for future generations (31 percent in 2020) and 41 percent are somewhat concerned about it. Women are more likely to be very concerned than men (38 versus 31 percent), and elderly people worry more often than younger people (43 percent of those aged 75 and over versus 30 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds).

Most concerns about dry summers and floods

People are most worried about more dry summers (76 percent) and more flooding in the Netherlands (71 percent). Approximately 60 percent of adults are also concerned about the extinction of animal and plant species, more heavy rain and hailstorms, more hot summers and a diminishing living area due to rising sea levels.

Less than half of adults say climate policy is ineffective

Concerns about climate policy costs

A large majority of adults (82 percent) think it is important for the government to focus on climate policy. However, 58 percent are concerned about the cost this involves as well (50 percent by 2020). Especially men, people with at most a diploma up to prevocational secondary education (VMBO) or senior secondary vocational education (MBO) level 1, and people from households with lower affluence are disproportionately concerned about this.

Large enterprises, industry and aviation are not doing enough according to 3/4 of over-18s

For 73 percent of people, large enterprises, industry and aviation are not active enough in combating climate change. A total of 66 percent believe that countries outside the European Union are doing too little about this. Approximately half of them hold this view of the national government (51 percent), citizens (48 percent), and of the European Union (46 percent). Farmers are most often found to be contributing enough to combat climate change (38 percent), while 6 percent think farmers contribute too much.