85 per cent of Italians would be willing to vote in the European elections for a party that puts environmental issues at its centre, such as the fight against pollution, sustainability, and renewable energy.
There is now less than a month to go until the European elections on 26 May, and for European citizens one of the greatest priorities that parties should address is that of climate change. Italians are now proving more sensitive to the issue than average: according to research conducted by Ipsos Mori for the international non-profit organisation European climate foundation, at least 85 per cent of Italians would like political parties, on the occasion of the European elections, to make environmental policies a priority — in particular the protection of animals and nature, the reduction of air pollution, the fight against global warming, and the development of more sustainable agriculture.
Whether it is the Greta Thunberg effect, or a general and progressive awakening of public awareness, the fact remains that potential voters appear to be ahead of the parties seeking to represent them: Italian citizens, according to the survey, would be willing to direct their vote towards political leaders who committed to certain specific points. These include:
And furthermore, albeit with slightly lower percentages, more general, principled commitments would also be welcome, such as: working to protect nature and stopping those who are destroying it; investing in the prevention of weather-related disasters; making the European Union a global leader in the fight against climate change.
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The front on which Italians show slightly more resistance to change is that of transport: it is "only" for 76 per cent of potential voters that limiting the use of diesel or petrol cars — among the main factors of air pollution — would be important.
Even so, it is a fairly high percentage, and significantly higher than that recorded by the same research in the rest of Europe, where this demand stands at only 68 per cent. More broadly, Italians prove to be at least programmatically more attentive than other Europeans on environmental issues, with consistently higher percentages (the European average of those interested in environmental policies stands at 82 per cent, compared to Italy's 85).
Even more surprising, however, is the data broken down by age group: curiously, adults appear to be more interested in the environment than young people, and indeed the demand for European environmental policies shoots up to over 90 per cent among the over-sixties, while it is far less pressing among those under 30. A sign that there is still a great deal for brave young Greta to do: in the meantime, it remains to be seen whether parties will actually be able to respond to citizens' needs.
