A CSO Frontier Series Output- What is this?
This release has been compiled during the COVID-19 crisis. The results contained in this release reflect some of the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 situation. For further information see Background Notes.
In this section, we asked the respondents about their concerns regarding environmental issues. We also explored their involvement in the protection of the environment.
In this survey, we defined the outdoors and natural spaces in Ireland as 'green' outdoor spaces in cities and towns (e.g. parks and urban green spaces), and in the countryside (e.g. mountains, forests or farmlands). It also included 'blue' outdoor spaces such as lakes, rivers and the open sea. Private and shared outdoor spaces such as gardens, patios, yards, balconies etc. were excluded from this section as they had a dedicated part in the survey later (see Gardening Activities chapter).
The respondents were most concerned about five main environmental issues: climate change (58%), pollution of freshwaters and marine waters (57%), loss of habitats (47%), loss of biodiversity (46%), and air pollution (45%; Figure 4.1 and Table 4.1).
When asked if they thought there is still time to act on the environmental issues that concerned them, above 40% of respondents thought that there is still time to act and improve the state of the environment. More than half of the participants (52%) however thought that, while there is still time to act, it is unlikely to happen (Figure 4.2 and Table 4.2).
| Environmental issue | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Climate change | 58 |
| Pollution of freshwaters or marine waters (e.g. through the use of pesticides, accumulation of wastes, etc.) | 57 |
| Loss of habitats | 47 |
| Loss of biodiversity | 46 |
| Air pollution | 45 |
| Soil pollution (e.g. through the use of pesticides, accumulation of wastes, etc.) | 29 |
| Decrease in the stock of natural resources (e.g. water, timber, etc.) | 21 |
| Introduction of invasive species | 18 |
| Noise pollution | 16 |
| Fragmentation of landscapes | 12 |
| Other | 2 |
| Don't know / Prefer not to say / Not stated | 2 |
| X-axis label | Don't know / Prefer not to say / Not stated | No action is required | It is too late to act and improve the state of the environment | There is still time to act and improve the state of the environment | There is still time to act but it is unlikely to happen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 43 | 52 |
Just over half (51%) of the respondents thought that they could do more to protect the environment. Almost 40% of participants reported that they do as much as can, while a minority (7%) stated that they already do a lot (Figure 4.3 and Table 4.3).
| X-axis label | Don't know / Prefer not to say / Not stated | I don't have to act | I already do a lot | I do as much as I can | I could do more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 7 | 39 | 51 |
Almost half of the participants (49%) stated that they would do more to protect the environment if they felt like their actions really made a difference. Acquiring more knowledge (36%), having more clarity on what environmentally-friendly actions are (33%), or having more time available (27%) would also play an important role in increasing their personal involvement in the protection of the environment (Figure 4.4 and Table 4.4).
| Reasons | Percentage |
|---|---|
| If I felt like my actions really made a difference | 49 |
| If I could acquire the knowledge that would allow me to do more | 36 |
| If there was more clarity on what environmentally-friendly actions are | 33 |
| If I had more time available to me | 27 |
| If I could join a group of like minded volunteers | 13 |
| If I felt my involvement was recognised and valued by others | 12 |
| Don't know / Prefer not to say / Not stated | 6 |
In their day-to-day life, over half of the respondents reported that they reduced the heating of their home in winter (59%), or reduced their use of water (53%) to protect the environment. More than 40% also reported having invested in better insulation of their home (44%), or eating less animal-based products (43%; Table 4.5).
Almost 60% of respondents stated that they reduce the amount of waste they produce all the time or most of the time to protect the environment. The majority of participants also reported buying organic or environmentally-friendly products (81%), or buying products that are grown locally or in season (79%) most of or some of the time. Finally, 35% of participants reported walking, cycling or using public transport instead of driving all or most of the time, while 23% said they never do so (Figure 4.5 and Table 4.6).
| Behaviour | Don't know / Prefer not to say / Not stated | Never | Some of the time | Most of the time | All the time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walk, cycle or use public transport instead of driving | 2 | 23 | 40 | 17 | 18 |
| Buy organic or environmentally-friendly products | 5 | 10 | 60 | 21 | 4 |
| Reduce the amount of waste I produce | 3 | 4 | 35 | 38 | 20 |
| Buy products that are grown locally or in season | 6 | 7 | 50 | 29 | 8 |
Almost eight in ten participants (79%) answered 'No' when asked if there are enough green spaces and biodiversity in urban areas (Figure 4.6 and Table 4.7).
| Percentage | |
| No | 79 |
| Yes | 10 |
| Not stated | 11 |
Go to the next chapter: Gardening Activities
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