79 percent of Salzburg residents would leave their car behind for one day a week to protect the climate.
ANALYSIS AND COMMENTS ON THE SURVEY
BY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JULIA HETTEGGER
SALZBURG. According to our survey, the Salzburg population is waiting for decisions on climate protection by the state government. In December, the Graz opinion research institute GMK asked and learned four questions on the subject of climate protection on behalf of the Salzburg District Gazette: The “Corona year” did not reduce concerns about the environment.
State politics should decide
92 percent of the Salzburg residents surveyed from all districts stated that it was “very” or “fairly” important to them that state politicians make clear decisions on climate protection. Especially women (70 percent) and people over 60 (76 percent) consider these decisions to be “very important”. 93 percent of those questioned who voted for the Greens in the last state election demand clear decisions on climate protection from the state government – that was to be expected. But 65 percent of the ÖVP and 63 percent of the SPÖ voters also consider decisions on climate protection to be very important.
Value remains high
Exactly a year ago (December 2019) we had the same questions asked. The comparison shows: The importance of climate protection for the population has not changed in the Corona year. The deviations from the results from 2019 are within the fluctuation range for all questions. The commitment to the need for climate protection measures is not just an empty phrase for the people of Salzburg. The majority of the population is committed to climate protection measures even when it comes to their own actions and renunciation.
Leave the car behind
A full 79 percent state that they would voluntarily forego driving a private car or motorcycle for one day a week as a contribution to climate protection. Women in particular, at 81 percent, are willing to restrict individual traffic. But even 75 percent of men would leave the car behind to protect the climate. In Salzburg there is also agreement on the political stance: Green 88 percent; ÖVP 85 percent; SPÖ 78 percent.
–“Free public transport” is not a must
Even if public transport were offered free of charge, that does not change the willingness to leave the car or motorcycle parked for one day a week. That may seem strange, says Anton Leinschitz from the opinion research institute GMK. There was this “no effect” in 2019 as well. “One would believe that more people from Salzburg would leave their cars behind if public transport were free. The fact that it is not so is probably due to the fact that, especially in rural regions such as the Inner Mountains, public transport does not provide a viable alternative to private transport And some respondents apparently do not believe in the possibility that public transport could be offered free of charge, “supposes Leinschitz. Therefore,” free public transport “is welcome, but not a prerequisite for a car-free day.
–Climate protection tax would be okay
The people of Salzburg would even make compromises in terms of climate protection when it comes to air traffic. And not just because since the corona pandemic, travel has been restricted in any case. As early as 2019, 64 percent of those surveyed said they were in favor of making flying massively more expensive across Europe through the introduction of a climate protection tax as a contribution to climate protection. This year more people from Salzburg agree with this statement – 68 percent. It is clear here that the younger the respondents are, the more likely they are to reject the massive increase in air travel prices within Europe. Among the under 35-year-olds, 31 percent reject this measure. It is 23 percent for those aged 35 to 59 and 19 percent for those over 60.
–Also works without regulations
If all those who said they would leave their cars one day a week to protect the climate would just do that; and if those who recognize air traffic in Europe as a problem for the climate simply gave up many flights, a great deal would be done for climate protection. Even if 92 percent of us demand clear decisions from state politics for climate protection: We would have to implement these measures ourselves. If, in return, we do not necessarily demand public transport for free, why do we leave this opinion and the desire for one climate-friendly life do not follow actions? After all, we can do climate protection without political ordinances – simply because it is important to us.
DATA SOURCE FOR THIS SURVEY
Client: District papers Salzburg;
Executing company: GMK Society for Marketing and Communication, Graz;
target group: Eligible voters in the federal state of Salzburg; Sample and method: 400 interviews, quota procedure;
Query period: December 2020;
maximum fluctuation range: ± 5 percent.
>> HERE < you can find the Politbarometer for Salzburg (December 2020).
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