Most Europeans plan to curb flying, eat less meat for climate, EU poll says

(Reuters, 11 Jan 2021) Once restrictions lift, most Europeans say they plan to eat less meat and fly less frequently to combat climate change.

A majority of European citizens intend to fly less and already eat less meat to help fight climate change, according to a survey published by the European Investment Bank (EIB) on Monday.

Of 27,700 survey respondents in the EU's 27 countries, 74% of respondents said they intended to fly less frequently for environmental reasons, once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. That included 43% of respondents who said they would do this "all the time" and 31% who said they would "from time to time".

Europe's aviation sector is under scrutiny from customers and regulators over its carbon footprint, at the same time that airlines battle a slump in demand due to the pandemic.

Asked if they planned to choose trains over planes for short-haul trips, 71% of respondents in the EIB survey said they do.

In the poll, conducted in October-November 2020, 66% of Europeans said they already eat less meat to fight climate change and a further 13% said they planned to do so soon.

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Reuters, 11 Jan 2021: Most Europeans plan to curb flying, eat less meat for climate, EU poll says