Arbejdsrapport fra Miljøstyrelsen, 15/2006 – Tager vi ansvar for miljøet?

Tager vi ansvar for miljøet?

Summary and Conclusions

In average the population answers correctly on 82% of the questions they have been asked about the connection between our daily duties and the environment and about our possibilities for taking care of the environment. The Danes have with other word considerable knowledge about the environment.

Though, in some areas they have a lack of knowledge. For instance people in general doubt whether it is diesel- or gasoline cars that especially are the source to particle pollution (only 63% know the right answer). And, only 73% know that it is possible to economize fuel by the way you drive your car.

The population also has a lack of knowledge about household heating. 20% do not know the consequences of using coal, coke, oil and gas and 45% do not know the right answer on, how to save energy in household heating.

On a number of other points the population knows more about how to take care of the environment, than about what the consequences are if you do not take care. Thus, 20% of the citizens do not exactly know why it is an environmental problem to use too much water, but only 2% of everyone with a dishwasher do not know how to save water. Equally 11% do not exactly know which damage we cause the environment when we use electricity, but only 3% do not know how to save electricity. Thus, people know more about what the right thing to do is, than about what happens if they do the wrong thing. From the environment's point of view this imbalance has the right outcome.

Finally, the citizens could be more informed about which requirements environmental labelled products are fulfilling. Just under half of the population do not know that the products have to fulfil certain health requirements and two thirds do not know that the products also have to fulfil quality requirements.

A massive majority has a very friendly attitude towards the environment 97% find it important or very important to take care of the environment. But the more we zoom in from this general point of view onto the personal obligation towards a specific act - the less we have left. When the obligation exemplifies as “always buying environmental labelled products, when it is possible”, only 67% are left. Though, it is still a significant majority that declare them self willing to buy environmental labelled products if the possibility is present. The question is, what meaning the respondents ascribe to the word “possibility”. None of today's environmental labelled products have market share close to 67%.

Further, most of the respondents consider the members of the civil society (citizens, industry and agriculture) rather than the politicians and the authorities to be those who should take the responsibility of taking care of the environment. In this matter the majority does not try to “get rid of” the responsibility.

The population has a relatively environmental friendly attitude, but it is still possible to improve.

99% think of themselves as persons who take care of the environment in their everyday life. 79%, when they should say it themselves, do this most of the time or always.

In almost all the tested actions between two thirds and three fourths of the population have had the best environmental friendly behaviour, for instance dosed the right amount of washing powder or turned the light of in rooms they have left.

Respectively 50%, 61% and 64% have water saving tap(s), toilet(s) or shower(s). 86% have at least one of these devices. But only 28% have them all. With this it seems like there is a potential in getting respondents that already have taken the first step, moved into a permanent water saving arrangement, so they – so to speak – will make the job done.

Likewise there is a shortage of citizens that have a bathing behaviour corresponding their knowledge of the consequences of water-consumption on the environment (80% know this) and their knowledge about how you can economize the water in other connections, ex. dishwashing (85-98% know the answer). Thus “only” 70% of the population are content with 5 minutes of showering. 29% takes longer showers.

The population's knowledge is also better than their behaviour when it comes to washing. 97% know, how you should wash correctly (dose according to the instruction), but only 69% translated this knowledge into their behaviour last time they where washing.

Between 23% and 50% of the population have a consumption of electricity that no one has any use of. 23% have turned on the light in unused rooms, 39% have unused devices turned on and 50% have unused devices on stand-by.

Close to 23% and 37% of the population do not seem to be aware of respectively the energy- and the environmental labelled system. Or, they are at least not aware if they have purchased products with those labels.

The respondents estimate themselves that: information about the environment, cheap environmental friendly products and easy access to environmental friendly solutions are factors that can promote an environmental friendly behaviour.

In addition the survey shows that there is a strong connection between attitude and behaviour. This connection is stronger than the connection between knowledge and behaviour. In this there is a recommendation to the upcoming information campaign to focus on attitude adaptation. Information, as the respondents suggest, wont do it by it self.

Another strong connection that it is a bit harder to take consequences of - is that environmental friendly behaviour increases with the age. This connection is almost as strong as the connection between attitude and behaviour. Although, this suryey cannot answer why it is like this, but it is clear that the young people are a very central challenge for the Ministry of Environment when it comes to developing the population's attitude in a desirable direction.