Israel 2050: Global Warming - Israelis Concerned - Survey Part I & II

As part of IDI's 'Israel 2050' initiative, a survey found that the majority of Israelis are concerned about the risks of global warming and believe that their government should act accordingly.

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The survey was conducted as part of Israel 2050: A Flourishing Economy in a Sustainable Environment, a project being conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and other government agencies (the Ministries of the Economy, Energy, and Transportation, and the Planning Administration). The project dealt with the preparations by the Israeli economy to reduce carbon emissions and to draw up strategic plan and policy objectives for the year 2050 which Israel was to submit to the United Nations by the end of 2020.

The public opinion poll was conducted by the Social Eye team at the Israel Democracy Institute, for inclusion in a more extensive report being written by an IDI research team at working on a study on “A Fair Transition to a Low-carbon Economy in Israel.” This document was released to the public in December 2020 and was presented in part at the Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society (December 14-16, 2020). The public opinion poll was designed to examine the Israeli public’s willingness to engage in a process to reduce carbon emissions.

Part A - Principal Findings

The survey reveals that most Israelis are aware of the dangers of global warming, are concerned about it, and believe that the government should take appropriate steps to address it. Most of the public views the oil and gas companies, power plants, and industry as a whole, as the chief parties who should act to reduce air pollution in Israel, followed by the government.

The public is also aware of each individual's responsibility to act to reduce air pollution and is willing to be part of the process to reduce pollutant emissions and to take action to achieve this, at least if it involves only a relatively minor inconvenience. In addition, Israelis are quite willing to bear the financial burden associated with reducing pollutant emissions, so as to enjoy the benefits (mainly-- reduced outlays on energy). This willingness to sustain the financial burden also characterizes ultra-Orthodox and Arab populations.

But despite the great awareness of the dangers posed by climate change and the government’s major responsibility to deal with the challenges of global warning and prepare for the climate crisis, the climate and environmental quality are not major considerations in voting for the Knesset or local authorities. This finding reflects the challenge that faces public and civic entities that are leading the Israeli campaign to transition to a low-carbon economy and all matters associated with public participation in this campaign. As long as elected representatives do not pay a political price for neglecting them, these issues will not be given adequate attention, even though this is essential in light of the magnitude of the threat that the climate crisis poses for humanity as a whole, and for weaker population groups in particular.

Awareness of the climate crisis

• A majority of the public (75%) agrees that there is a link between pollutant emissions and climate change; a similar share believes that the government must take steps to deal with global warning. About half of the respondents agree "very strongly" with this statement.

• Similarly, a majority of the public (72%) believes that humanity is endangered by climate change and global warming; more than half (54%) believe that the next crisis will be the climate crisis.

• Among the ultra-Orthodox, a majority (65%) believes that there is a connection between pollutant emissions and climate change, but this figure is less than that among all other sectors of the population. About half of the ultra-Orthodox believe that humanity is in danger because of climate change, and that the government of Israel must take steps to deal with the climate crisis.

• The share of those who agree that the government must take steps to deal with the impending climate crisis increases with age, with household income, and with education. This is also the case with regard to all other aspects of awareness of climate change.

• The percentage of those who agree that the government must take steps to deal with global warning is especially high among residents of the Haifa and Northern districts and among those who define themselves as politically left-wing.

How concerned are you about the climate crisis?

• A majority of the respondents (70%) is concerned about the spread of disease and epidemics against the backdrop of the climate crisis, the rise in air pollution (63%); the impact on the economic situation of weaker populations throughout the world as a result of the climate crisis; the destruction of the planet as a biosphere (60%–61%), and shortages of natural resources and raw materials (56%).

• The percentage of Arabs who are concerned by the increase in air pollution is especially large, 72%, as against 64% of Jews who are not ultra-Orthodox, and only 38% of ultra-Orthodox Jews.

• Residents of the Haifa District are significantly more concerned than the rest of the population about diseases and epidemics (82%), the rise in air pollution (80%), and the negative impact on the economic situation of weaker populations throughout the world as a result of the climate crisis (79%). In the Northern District, the percentage of those concerned about these issues is slightly higher than those among the population as a whole.

Who bears responsibility for reducing air pollution?

• A majority of the public (81%) sees the oil and gas companies and power plants as bearing the main responsibility for taking action to reduce air pollution in Israel, followed by Israeli industry in general (76%).

• The government, too, is seen, to a great or very great extent, as having to take steps to reduce air pollution in the country, with the emphasis on the responsibility of the Energy, Transportation, and Environmental Protection ministries (73% of the public assigned them great or very great responsibility).

• The public is also aware of individuals' responsibility to act to reduce air pollution: about 60% place responsibility on those who travel in private motor vehicles and about 58% on the public itself.

Willingness to be personally involved

• The public expressed strong willingness to separate waste for recycling on a regular basis, if the recycling bins are near their homes (77%). If they are at some distance, this willingness drops significantly but remains at more than half (53%). The willingness of the Arab sector to recycle, even if the bins are far from their homes, stands out (67%), as against the much lower willingness among the ultra-Orthodox cj=, (29%). Willingness to separate waste categories for recycling increases with age.

• The public is very willing (61%) to stop using disposable utensils, but the figure plunges to 37% among the ultra-Orthodox. The percentage of those willing to do so increases with age and with income.

• The public’s willingness to cut back on travel by private vehicle in order to reduce air pollution, even at the cost of convenience and increased travel time, is relatively low (45%); the Arabs are slightly more inclined (55%) than are Jews who are not ultra-Orthodox (45%). Among ultra-Orthodox Jews the percentage of those opposed to doing so (49%) exceeds those who agree (26%). The percentage of those willing to reduce travel by private vehicle increases with age.

• By contrast, the public did not agree to the imposition of a congestion charge of 30 NIS on those who travel by private vehicle to the centers of large cities or on highways at peak hours.

• Similarly, the public did not agree with a switch to paying for trash removal based on the quantity discarded by each household, rather than a fixed payment through municipal property tax, as is the case today.

• Despite the findings of the survey, climate and environmental quality are not major considerations in how the public votes for the Knesset or local authority: only 30% and 33% (respectively) take environmental matters into account when they vote.

Willingness to pay a financial price

• Israelis show a significant willingness to pay a price for reducing pollutant emissions. A majority of the respondents (73%) are willing to pay for the installation of solar panels on their roofs in order to enjoy a permanent discount on their electric bills (willingness increases with household income). About two-thirds are willing to purchase a greener car in order to reduce pollutant emissions and to enjoy reduced energy costs (lower fuel outlays), even if the vehicles are more expensive.

• More than half of the public agrees that products that do not meet the Green Standard should be taxed, in order to encourage a switch to products that pollute less, even if this increases the products’ price to the consumer. A similar percentage (52%–53%) are willing to spend more on housing (in rent or purchase price) in order to live in a building constructed according to a Green Standard and that saves on electric and water bills. About half of the public are even willing to pay higher municipal taxes in order to have more parks and shade in their neighborhoods. Only 44% support a tax on electricity producers (polluting tax) in order to accelerate the transition to clean energy if this would raise their electric bills.

• The range of price increases that respondents said they were willing to pay as part of the costs associated with the reduction of pollutant emissions, is 9% to 12%. Although this reflects the public mood, one must relate to this finding with caution, since there is a discrepancy between what most people report in surveys and their actual behavior when forced to pay more for a Green Standard apartment or for green products and services.

The use of government revenues from a carbon tax

• Most of the public (75%) would prefer that the government’s revenues from a carbon tax be applied to reducing their home electric and/or water bills and providing financial assistance to enable households to switch to more economical and greener energy (solar energy, home insulation, purchase of a greener vehicle).

• The public also supports a policy that focuses on weaker segments of the population, and designates the carbon-tax revenues to cutting taxes for low-income families (72%).

• The public also supports designating these tax revenues to funding environmental infrastructure projects (69%). A similar percentage favors assisting the development of new industries in green sectors in order to guarantee employment in the future, and an across-the-board and uniform reduction in taxes for everyone, such as by cutting the value-added tax rate (67% and 68%, respectively).

• A smaller percentage supported the other options offered, such as using pollution-tax revenues to pay grants or subsidies to encourage companies to invest in the development of clean technologies (62%), or to provide incentives to companies to become more efficient in their use of resources and switch to clean energy (60%).

Part B - Principal Findings

Installing solar panels

• The survey highlights the need for campaigns to make information available to the public, given that about a third of the respondents are totally unaware that it is possible to reduce electric bills and air pollution by installing solar panels on the roof.

• Some 66% of respondents are aware of the advantages of installing solar panels on the roof,, but only 6% have actually done so.

• The main factors that would push the public to install solar panels on the roofs of their houses or buildings are financial assistance or subsidies for doing so (51% of respondents), understanding the individual advantages of doing so (37%), and logistical assistance (26%).

Upgrading buildings to a Green Standard

• The survey highlights the significant need for information campaigns with regard to the advantages of upgrading residential buildings to a Green Standard. About half of the respondents (47%) do not know that it is possible to reduce electric bills and reduce air pollution in this way.

• The other half (52%) are aware of the advantages of modifying homes to comply with the Green Standard, but only 9% have actually done so.

• The main factors that would encourage the public to upgrade their homes to the Green Standard are: financial assistance to pay for it (44%), the launch of an urban renewal project to upgrade entire buildings (35%), and understanding the individual advantages of doing so (27%).

Cutting back on the use of private vehicles and a switch to electric vehicles

• Some 75% of the respondents travel in private motor vehicles; the figure is especially high in the Arab sector (84%).

• Improving the frequency of public transportation (35%) and its accessibility in residential neighborhoods and employment districts (31%) were specified as major factors that would induce the respondents to reduce their travel by private vehicle in normal times (not during the COVID-19 pandemic).

• The willingness to reduce the use of private vehicles is particularly low among Arabs: 42% of them said that none of the options would cause them to reduce traveling in their own vehicles, as against 23% among Jews who are not ultra-Orthodox.

• By contrast, there was a much greater willingness among the ultra-Orthodox to reduce the use of private vehicles.

• Positive financial incentives: grants or tax credits for low kilometrage were mentioned as a more effective way to reduce travel by private vehicle than negative incentives like a congestion charge or a tax on polluting fuels.

A fair transition

• The majority of respondents (62%) believe that disadvantaged sectors should be helped to install solar panels, to upgrade their homes to the Green Standard, and/or to purchase an electric car or less polluting vehicle by means of fiscal incentives and assistance in financing, so as to ensure that these sectors, too, can enjoy the benefits of the transition to a low-carbon economy, such as lower electricity and fuel bills. Only 28% of respondents believe that the financial incentives should be equal for all.

• Respondents preferred that state revenues from a carbon tax be used for one of the following purposes: reducing value-added tax (30%), government investments in improving transportation infrastructure (30%), and incentives to the public to transition to the consumption of green energy (29%).

The Climate Change Crisis survey is based on a representative sample of the Israeli population, and included 1009 respondents. It was conducted online on November 8–14, 2020. A total of 842 men and women were interviewed in Hebrew and 167 in Arabic, constituting a representative national sample of the entire adult population in Israel, aged 18 and up. The maximum sampling error for the survey population as a whole is plus ±3.15%, with level of 95% (Jews ±3.4%, Arabs ±7.7). The fieldwork was conducted by the Smith Institute, directed by Rafi Smith. The data file is available at Data Israel.

The Climate Change Crisis survey is based on a representative sample of the Israeli population, and included 1009 respondents. It was conducted online on November 8–14, 2020. A total of 842 men and women were interviewed in Hebrew and 167 in Arabic, constituting a representative national sample of the entire adult population in Israel, aged 18 and up. The maximum sampling error for the survey population as a whole is plus ±3.15%, with level of 95% (Jews ±3.4%, Arabs ±7.7). The fieldwork was conducted by the Smith Institute, directed by Rafi Smith. The data file is available at Data Israel.

Link to the Hebrew: https://www.idi.org.il/media/16434/surveys-of-public-opinion-on-climate-change.pdf