The Center of Excellence in Food, Tourism and Leisure and the Office of Sustainability – Public Affairs of the American College of Greece, delved in the attitudes of the Greek population on sustainable development. The study covers 2022 and is the first detailed presentation of findings from a series of comparative annual reports.
This research project addressed the following questions:
- Greek perceptions on sustainable development
- The role of the market, the consumers and the individual citizens in addressing the issue
- Opportunities for sustainable development in Greece
- Trust in the institutions and respective organizations, considering intentions and capabilities to contribute to the environment.
For this purpose, a nationwide survey was administered in collaboration with the company Hellenic Research House (HRH) to a representative sample of 1039 men and women between the ages of 18 and 64 during June 2022. The data was collected online, with recruitment conducted by HRH’s nationwide household panel.
It appears that the environment and related issues are at the forefront of the Greek sustainability consciousness, along with long-term economic growth and betterment of people’s lives. Women and older generations put even greater emphasis on the environment as a sustainable development goal, while the young generations tend to put the spotlight on social justice goals, among the 17 UN Global Goals. The strong link between environment and sustainable development is also reflected in the expectations citizens have from private firms, as both environmental development and social responsibility are considered part of their sustainability obligations. Despite this, consumers would think twice or thrice before avoiding a company due to reasons involving environmental damage. The four most promising sectors for sustainable growth in Greece that emerge from the survey are “Organic farming”, “Recycling”, “Photovoltaics”, and “Production of local products by small or family crafts/industries”.
Zooming in on environmental sustainability, the highest priority in general is considered the reduction of CO2 emissions. Moreover, Greek citizens acknowledge a shared responsibility in environmental protection, which translates to moderate individual contribution, understanding the importance of positive reinforcement of good private sector behavior, and recognizing the importance of government interventions against irresponsible behavior. On the other hand, even though citizens contribute to environmental sustainability in both theoretical and practical terms, with women and older generations showcasing the highest rates of protective behavior, there is a monetary barrier to taking further action. All in all, Greeks consider that other EU citizens display better environmental behavior. When it comes to trust in offering solutions to sustainability and environmental issues, Greek citizens hold science and technology in high regard. Environmental organizations, both Greek and international, as well as the EU are considered adequately trustworthy in offering related solutions. On the flip side, the Greek state as a whole is regarded as not up to par with its corresponding responsibility for environmental protection.
Via cluster analysis the Greek citizens are segmented into 5 groups according to their differentiated attitude towards sustainability and sustainable development. From largest to smallest, the groups are:
- Realists (32%, N=333)
- Indifferent (23%, N=235)
- Naïve (19%, N=202)
- Market Driven (17%, N=175) and
- Trust-no-one (9%, N=96).
The groups that occasionally present a rating pattern similar to the average Greek citizen are the Realists, the Market Driven, and the Trust-no-one. On the other hand, the Naïve tend to have an extremely positive attitude towards all issues, while the Indifferent cluster tends to have an extremely negative one. However, a few interesting exceptions are observed. For example, when it comes to personal contribution, the Indifferent group, with a significantly lower percentage of people from higher socioeconomic strata and a lower personal contribution index, are more willing to offer their time and money to environmental organizations as opposed to the Realists.
Below you can see a summary of each group’s characteristics in contrast to the average citizen.
Find out more by downloading the full report and presentation here, in Greek:
