The climate, anchored in mentalities?
Unsurprisingly, the major concern of the French population at the start of 2021 remains the pandemic, for 27% of our fellow citizens.
At the end of 2019, when Vattenfall launched a first survey2, diseases and epidemics did not come spontaneously in the minds of the French: only 8% thought of it when 31% were concerned about climate change and 18% about poverty.
SARS-CoV-2 has logically changed the situation and the pandemic now occupies the first place of their concerns.
However, climate change is far from being ignored for 23% of them, and it also generates a very high degree of concern (82%).
In this context, 65% of French people believe that the economic recovery that must be put in place to counter the effects of the pandemic must not be dissociated from climate commitments, even if this implies a slowdown in the economic recovery.
Whatever their level of income, our fellow citizens would accept up to 38% price increases for more sustainable consumption.
The younger they are, the more they increase the prices, by 46% for 16-24 year olds versus 32% for 55-64 year olds.
Eco-anxiety, a European feeling
The first study published in 2020 with several European countries also reveals that, whatever the country, whatever the age of the respondents, the corollaries of climate change are fear, anxiety and anger, while treatment disasters in the media and on social networks seem to be driving this eco-anxiety.
Floods, tornadoes, cyclones, forest fires, heat records are more and more common and above all more and more violent phenomena.
Climate change is perceived above all as extremely anxiety-provoking (41%), also generating a strong feeling of helplessness (31%).
Nevertheless, the French are identifying concrete solutions to overcome this anxiety.
Today, 49% of them believe that reducing imports and producing locally are acts that significantly contribute to reducing CO2 emissions, and 35% believe that production using clean energy contributes to this. also.
Vattenfall, committed actor for the climate
Vattenfall is an energy company of Swedish origin whose ambition is to contribute to a fossil fuel-free life within a generation.
Its action in favor of the climate is also recognized by many NGOs, such as the
Carbon Disclosure Project,
which ranked the group with an "A" rating in 2019 and 2020, i.e. the highest distinction awarded to only 3% of the 9 600 companies analyzed for their action in this area.
With a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels by 2030 and an investment strategy focused solely on renewable energies (35% of their current production), in particular offshore wind power3 where it is the leader in Europe, the group s '' is even involved outside its core business in the decarbonisation of transport and industry, with an innovative project called Hybrit, which aims to manufacture carbon-free steel from green hydrogen.
Present for twenty years in France as an energy supplier for professionals (large accounts, SMI-PME, VSE and craftsmen), Vattenfall has also been present since 2018 for individuals.
The Vattenfall Energies subsidiary offers market offers 5 to 10% less expensive than regulated sales tariffs, carbon neutral or 100% green, with customer service accessible directly by telephone.
“The results of this study confirm that Vattenfall's positioning meets the expectations expressed by our customers in terms of the fight against climate change,”
specifies Henri Reboullet, representative of the Vattenfall group in France and Chairman and CEO of Vattenfall Energies.
We already offer energy supply offers that allow the French to make a gesture for the climate which costs them less, and our ambition is to develop our renewable energy production capacity in France by 2030, particularly in offshore wind power. "
1 TNS Kantar study for Vattenfall, France, January 14-18, 2021, involving 1,050 adults aged 16 to 64.
This study on the perception of climate change by French public opinion aimed, on the one hand, to obtain the overall findings of the perception of the climate subject and the concerns it raises and, on the other hand, to identify the expectations and the needs expressed as solutions to the climate problem.
It puts today's results into perspective with those of studies carried out on seven countries in Europe, before and during the Covid-19 crisis (previous waves: December 2019 and June 2020).
2 TNS Kantar study for Vattenfall, France, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, United Kingdom, Finland and the Netherlands, 22 November-2 December 2019. In France, 1,055 adults aged 16 to 64 were then interviewed.
3 Vattenfall operates twelve offshore wind farms (approximately 2GW) in five countries and is currently developing over 5GW.