As Energy Prices Rise Sharply, Dutch Turn Climate Sceptical

The conclusion here might be that those with their ears (or noses?) to the ground smell a rat, while those with their heads in the clouds see nothing wrong. Or is it mainly the cost factor?

The number of Dutch people who are worried about climate change decreased significantly over the past months, says The GWPF.

While the group who thinks that addressing greenhouse gas emissions is going too far is growing since the government announced their climate plans, according to a survey by Peter Kanne of I&O Research, AD reports.

At the end of 2015 two thirds of Dutch thought the cabinet should do more to limit the emission of greenhouse gasses. Now it’s only 48 percent. In the same period, the group that thinks the government should do less grew from 7 to 19 percent.

Late last month 65 percent of Dutch said they were worried about climate change, a significant decrease compared to the 78 percent who were worried about this in December.

Two thirds of Dutch are convinced that humans are responsible for global warming. But the group that thinks their own actions can make a difference is much smaller. Some 60 percent of Dutch think that as long as large companies do not reduce their CO2 emissions, their own actions don’t matter.

Men, the elderly and people with lower levels of education are considerably more skeptical about climate change and their role therein than women, young people and higher educated.

According to Kanne, this is because the first group has more to lose if there is a stricter climate policy.

Full report here.