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    Israelis care about the planet, survey shows

    Online Niel Posted on

    The majority of the Israeli public is concerned about climate changea new survey from the National Institute for Climate Policy Research at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) found, according to a new survey published on Sunday.

    The study surveyed 1,180 participants in Israel about their knowledge and attitudes about climate change and its effects on the environmenteconomy, society and health.

    The study was conducted by Dr. Yossi David from the Department of Communication Studies, together with climate researcher Dr. Avner Gross from BGU, and took place from June 26-30, 2024.

    A third of the survey participants indicated that they are willing to change their behavior to protect the environment. 36% said they were willing to eat less animal-based food, 33% were willing to travel more by public transportation, 24% were willing to fly less, and only 13% were willing to pay higher taxes to promote environmental protection.

    A significant finding of the survey shows that the majority of the Israeli public is concerned about increased air pollution caused by human activities such as burning fossil fuels. However, they express concern about natural events such as fires, heat waves and floods, which also have an impact on the climate.

    Air Pollution (Credit: Eitan Elhadez)

    “It seems the public is more ready than ever to change their habits than government officials think,” said Tamar Zandberg, head of BGU’s National Institute for Climate Policy Research and a former minister of Environmental Protection.

    Human impact on climate change

    Most Israelis believe that humans are causing climate change, but there is a significant percentage of others who believe that alternative factors are also having an impact. 62% believe there are economic interests behind climate change claims, 58% believe there are political interests, and 40% believe the science is divided if there is climate change.

    “The Israeli public is surprisingly aware of the dangers of the climate crisis, despite the lack of sufficient public discussion of these issues,” said Dr. David.

    The findings also show that the Israeli public wants change but lacks information on how to achieve it. A majority of the Israeli public across all political backgrounds (63%) has a high level of trust in science but does not trust social media. Although trust in friends and family is also prominent (59%), 40% expressed trust in the Ministry of Environmental Protection and only 14% expressed trust in social media.

    “This is one of the most interesting findings of the survey, in my opinion. This finding indicates the public’s desire for reliable scientific knowledge and the ability of this knowledge to influence public attitudes,” explained Dr. Gross.

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    The Israeli public sees the need to support policies that help adapt to climate change.

    It turns out that lefties tend to be slightly more concerned than righties about the impact of climate change and are more willing to change their behavior than righties.

    An overwhelming majority of participants on the left expressed concern about increased air pollution resulting from human actions, while the center and right expressed similar concerns.

    Examining the differences between men and women shows that women are more supportive of promoting policies and changing behavior to reduce climate change than men.

    “The data on the differences between men and women is similar to the data we know from other places in the world,” pointed out Dr. David. “However, the differences between the right and the left in Israel are smaller than in the United States, for example, which indicates that the issue has not been fully politicized in Israel.”

    Zandberg said this shows that many political parties can work together to create strong policy measures to address the climate crisis.

    The poll showed that an overwhelming majority of the Israeli public believes that climate change is dangerous to humanity and that the government should take appropriate action.

    “Our conclusion, therefore, is that it is not only possible, but necessary to think about more measures on climate change. The public … is waiting for a call to action at the individual and community level to reduce environmental damage,” Zandberg said.

    The Environment and Climate Change Portal is produced in cooperation with the Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The Jerusalem Post maintains all editorial decisions related to content.



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