Poles still support climate neutrality, but with less conviction than the European average. The number of people in Poland positively disposed to paying for carbon emissions has clearly declined. Both in Poland and across Europe, citizens increasingly expect governments to bear the burden of climate action and the costs of the related transformation.
The latest survey by energy company E.ON shows a clear cooling of enthusiasm for many pro-climate and transformation initiatives in Poland and other European countries. The main driver of this change is economic pragmatism, a trend visible in several recent reports on the topic. However, this does not signal the end of support for climate and transformation efforts. Idealism has been replaced by a more economic approach, but it does not negate the existing achievements and strategies.
According to the study, 63 percent of Poles support the goal of achieving climate neutrality (the EU average is 70 percent). Moreover, 72 percent of respondents believe that the transformation will ensure long-term prosperity – in other words, that it pays off.
Falling support for key mechanisms
At the same time, support for the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is declining. In 2025, 59 percent of respondents backed this mechanism; in 2026, only 44 percent did. This year, 56 percent were opposed. Support for nuclear energy as the preferred future energy source dropped from 37 percent to 25 percent (respondents chose the best option in their opinion).
One in ten respondents selected coal, which the report’s authors interpret as a sentimental attachment to the fuel given its still-dominant role in Poland’s energy mix. Poland stands out in Europe: in 2025, 52.2 percent of its electricity came from coal — a share few other European countries can match.
Among Poles, the level of “climate anxiety” — concern that climate change will be destructive for future generations — is lower than in the rest of Europe. Such fears were expressed by 69 percent of Polish respondents, compared to the European average of 75 percent. This is accompanied by fatigue with the sacrifices made for the climate.
Waning green consumer habits
Although 72 percent of Poles still believe their actions can limit climate change, interest in eco-friendly products has fallen from 47 percent in 2025 to 42 percent in 2026. The share of people buying second-hand clothing dropped from 50 percent to 43 percent. Similar trends were observed across Europe.
In France, the proportion of people following a vegetarian or vegan diet fell from 14 percent to 7 percent; in Germany from 20 percent to 13 percent. Willingness to donate money to environmental causes also declined, most sharply in Spain (down 8 percentage points) and Sweden (down 6 points).
A key finding: across Europe, 82 percent of respondents expect their government to do more for the transformation. In Poland, this expectation is slightly lower at 78 percent. Interestingly, Poles are less worried about the financial burden of climate policy — 61 percent expressed such concerns, versus 65 percent in Europe.
The overall conclusion for Poland and the rest of Europe is clear: the mood has cooled, and climate protection has become, in the eyes of citizens, a matter for the government, not a part of their daily actions. The survey was conducted in 11 countries with samples of about 1,000 people in Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, Czechia, Sweden, and 500 in Hungary and Slovakia.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. EPA / LUIS TEJIDO / PAP
