This publication is categorised as a CSO Frontier Series Output. Particular care must be taken when interpreting the statistics in this release as it may use new methods which are under development and/or data sources which may be incomplete, for example new administrative data sources.
The results contained in this release reflect some of the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 situation. For further information see Background Notes.
Respondents were most concerned about five main environmental issues: climate change (58%), pollution of freshwaters and marine waters (57%), loss of habitats (47%), loss of biodiversity (46%), and air pollution (45%). See Table 2.1.a. For further details refer to the first publication 'Pulse Survey April-May 2022 - Our Lives Outdoors: Snapshot of Results'.
Young participants aged 18 to 34 years old were mainly concerned about climate change (68%) and loss of biodiversity (56%). About 60% of participants in the age groups above 35 years old were concerned about the pollution of freshwaters and marine waters, while about half of them mentioned climate change. Air pollution was a main concern for almost half of participants aged 18 to 34 (48%) and above 69 (49%). See Figure 2.1 and Table 2.1.b.
| Outdoor space | Climate change | Pollution of freshwaters or marine waters (e.g. through the use of pesticides, accumulation of wastes, etc.) | Loss of habitats | Loss of biodiversity | Air pollution | Soil pollution (e.g. through the use of pesticides, accumulation of wastes, etc.) | Introduction of invasive species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 34 | 68 | 51 | 45 | 56 | 48 | 23 | 15 |
| 35 to 44 | 59 | 56 | 49 | 55 | 42 | 28 | 16 |
| 45 to 54 | 52 | 58 | 51 | 48 | 40 | 29 | 19 |
| 55 to 69 | 49 | 62 | 48 | 33 | 46 | 31 | 21 |
| 70 and above | 57 | 61 | 41 | 28 | 49 | 34 | 22 |
Seven in ten participants (70%) who were students or pupils were concerned about climate change, while six in ten (58%) were worried about loss of biodiversity. Climate change was a main concern for almost six in ten of those in employment (59%) or unemployed (56%), while pollution of freshwater and marine waters was the most worrying environmental issue for six in ten respondents in retirement (61%), engaged in home duties (61%) or unable to work due to longstanding health problems (60%). See Figure 2.2 and Table 2.1.b.
| Outdoor space | Climate change | Pollution of freshwaters or marine waters (e.g. through the use of pesticides, accumulation of wastes, etc.) | Loss of habitats | Loss of biodiversity | Air pollution | Soil pollution (e.g. through the use of pesticides, accumulation of wastes, etc.) | Introduction of invasive species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working for payment | 59 | 56 | 47 | 50 | 44 | 26 | 18 |
| Unemployed | 56 | 52 | 46 | 40 | 57 | 27 | 15 |
| Retired | 55 | 61 | 42 | 27 | 51 | 31 | 21 |
| Student or pupil | 70 | 53 | 49 | 58 | 46 | 22 | 12 |
| Engaged in home duties | 50 | 61 | 48 | 43 | 40 | 45 | 21 |
| Unable to work due to longstanding health problems | 46 | 60 | 54 | 44 | 38 | 36 | 22 |
Pollution of freshwaters or marine waters was the main concern of participants living in the South-East (65%), Midlands (65%) and Border (61%) regions. Air pollution was mostly concerning for respondents living in the Dublin (52%), South-West (48%) and Mid-West (47%) regions. About a half of the participants living in the Midlands region were concerned about loss of habitats (53%) and soil pollution (46%). See Table 2.1.b.
Five in ten respondents living in urban areas (50%) and just over four in ten living in small towns or villages (43%) were concerned about air pollution. Three in ten respondents from small towns or villages (32%) or rural areas (34%) were concerned about soil pollution. Participants living in rural areas were more concerned about the introduction of invasive species (25%) than the participants living in urban areas (15%). However, respondents in urban areas were more concerned about climate change (63%) than those from small towns or villages (53%) or rural areas (52%). See Figure 2.3 and Table 2.1.c.
| Outdoor space | Climate change | Pollution of freshwaters or marine waters (e.g. through the use of pesticides, accumulation of wastes, etc.) | Loss of habitats | Loss of biodiversity | Air pollution | Soil pollution (e.g. through the use of pesticides, accumulation of wastes, etc.) | Introduction of invasive species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban area (e.g. city or county town) | 63 | 55 | 47 | 46 | 50 | 24 | 15 |
| Small town or village | 53 | 62 | 46 | 43 | 43 | 32 | 18 |
| Rural area (in the countryside) | 52 | 57 | 48 | 47 | 37 | 34 | 25 |
The first publication released on 30 May 2022 showed that the majority of respondents believed that there was still time to act on environmental issues but 52% said it was unlikely to happen while 43% said there was time to act and improve the environment. See Table 2.2.a. For further details refer to the first publication 'Pulse Survey April-May 2022 - Our Lives Outdoors: Snapshot of Results'.
About six in ten respondents in the age groups under 44 years old thought that while there was still time to act on environmental issues it was unlikely to happen, compared with less than five in ten of those 45 and over. Only 34% of those between 18 and 34 thought there was still time to act and improve the state of the environment, compared with about a half of those in the age groups above 54. See Figure 2.4 and Table 2.2.b.
| Outdoor space | Don't know / Prefer not to say / Not stated | It is too late to act and improve the state of the environment / No action is required | There is still time to act and improve the state of the environment | There is still time to act but it is unlikely to happen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 34 | 1 | 3 | 34 | 63 |
| 35 to 44 | 1 | 3 | 40 | 56 |
| 45 to 54 | 2 | 5 | 47 | 47 |
| 55 to 69 | 4 | 2 | 49 | 44 |
| 70 and above | 1 | 3 | 51 | 46 |
Almost 70% of students or pupils thought that, while there was still time to act on environmental issues it was unlikely to happen, compared with just over 50% of respondents who were in employment (53%), unemployed (51%), engaged in home duties (52%), or unable to work due to longstanding health problems (54%). Participants in retirement were more divided on the question with 46% thinking that there was still time to act but it is unlikely to happen and 47% that there was still time to act and improve the state of the environment. Figure 2.5 and Table 2.2.b.
| Outdoor space | Don't know / Prefer not to say / Not stated | It is too late to act and improve the state of the environment / No action is required | There is still time to act and improve the state of the environment | There is still time to act but it is unlikely to happen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working for payment | 1 | 3 | 43 | 53 |
| Unemployed | 1 | 2 | 45 | 51 |
| Retired | 3 | 4 | 47 | 46 |
| Student or pupil | 1 | 1 | 32 | 66 |
| Engaged in home duties | 4 | 1 | 44 | 52 |
| Unable to work due to longstanding health problems | 5 | 2 | 38 | 54 |
Just above six in in ten (64%) participants who did not have access to a garden said that while there was still time to act on environmental issues it was unlikely to happen, compared with 52% of those with access to a garden. See Figure 2.6 and Table 2.2.c.
| Access to a garden | Don't know / Prefer not to say / Not stated | It is too late to act and improve the state of the environment / No action is required | There is still time to act and improve the state of the environment | There is still time to act but it is unlikely to happen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access to a garden | 2 | 3 | 44 | 52 |
| No access to a garden | 2 | 3 | 30 | 64 |
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