Summer of horrors awakens French people to dangers of climate change

Wildfires, crippling drought, rolling heatwaves and deadly summer storms have served as a jolting confirmation to French people of the stark reality of climate change, a survey published Friday has found.

A wildfire burns out of control in France's Gironde region, near Bordeaux, during a heatwave in July, 2022. AP

But while most people were willing to make lifestyle changes to limit emissions, cutting out meat was not one of them.

Eighty-seven percent of French people told a BVA survey for Orange and RTL they were now aware of the impacts of global warming on the country – a 21 percent increase on pre-summer levels.

The shock delivered by extreme weather events has 77 percent of people ready to limit the temperature of their winter home heating to a brisk 19°C.

Similarly, 62 percent said they would even give up flying to help lower emissions.

🌎 Changement climatique : 1 Français sur 5 affirme que les évènements de cet été ont été déterminants dans leur prise de conscience, selon notre baromètre @BVA_France ⤵ https://t.co/dfEleLgYWv

— RTL France (@RTLFrance) August 26, 2022

But while 41 percent of people said they wanted to increase their efforts to fight climate change, more than a third said they felt they were already doing their best.

While agriculture emissions are a known major polluter, only 36 percent of people were willing to strike meat from their diets in an effort to save the planet.

And close to a third said they would not stop driving their car every day to reduce their carbon footprint.

Of all the people surveyed, 16 percent felt that responsibility for fighting climate change fell entirely to public authorities, not individuals.

Read also:

• In pictures: France ravaged by summer of wildfire and drought
• Rhine water levels on the rise after drought crippled shipping capacity