01 November 2021
Go to release: Household Environmental Behaviours - Environmental Concerns Quarter 3 2021
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (01 November 2021) published Household Environmental Behaviours - Environmental Concerns Quarter 3 2021. The report analyses the attitudes and concerns of Irish households in relation to the environment. The findings are based on a household environment module conducted as part of the CSO General Household Survey.
Statistician in the Environment and Climate Division, Clare O’Hara commented: ”The survey covered four main topics: Environmental Concerns; Visits to Nature Areas; Waste and Recycling; and Energy Use. The results being presented today are the first of four reports that are being published to coincide with the UN Climate Conference (COP26).
The issue that received the highest proportion of 'Very important' responses was water pollution. Over 79% of Irish households rated this issue as being very important. Plastic waste was the second most highly rated issue at 74%. Over 69% of Irish households rated climate change as very important.
Around 60% of urban households rated a lack of urban green spaces as a very important issue for them. Rural households gave this topic a lower rating at 39%.”
The survey sample included a representative mix of owner-occupied, private rented and local authority rented dwellings. Households from every county were included in the survey.
Further commenting, statistician Clare O’Hara added: ”The report found that 73% of households would support stricter air pollution controls on industrial and energy-production activities as the most effective means of tackling problems of air quality. In contrast, only 29% of households supported the introduction of traffic restrictions such as congestion charges and low emission zones in polluted cities.
Householders were asked how they would respond if tax on road transport fuels was increased by 10%. Over 69% of rural households indicated that they would continue to use their vehicle to the same extent because they have no alternative means of transport.
Over 31% of households indicated that they would not make any energy efficiency improvements to their home, if tax on home heating fuels was increased by 10%, because of the up-front cost.
Almost two-thirds of households (62%) regarded taking biodiversity concerns into account, when new infrastructure investments were being planned, as the most effective way to protect biodiversity."
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