Greta won't be impressed: Two in Five Russians think climate change is ‘far-fetched and overblown,’ new survey reveals

While the vast majority (93 percent) of Russians believe that climate change is real, only 52 percent think it’s a significant problem, and a whopping 40 percent reckon he issue is “overblown,” according to a new survey.

More than half (57 percent) of all surveyed Russians surveyed by Russian pollster WCIOM believe that climate change has an impact on human life, with this opinion being held more commonly (62 percent) by those in rural areas.

Despite its apparent effect on day to day business, the fact that two-fifths (40 percent) believe the issue is “overblown” means that a majority of Russians are still not ready to pay more for various goods and services in order to protect the environment. 76 percent of respondents said they aren’t prepared to splash out extra for fuel, 74 percent said this for utilities, and 62 said they wouldn’t spend extra on public transport. However, 94 percent of those surveyed said they would participate in a tree-planting initiative to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Although 52 percent of Russians believe that global warming is a problem, there remains skepticism about government initiatives to fight climate change. According to two-thirds of respondents (68 percent), the European Union’s new ‘environmental’ tax on Russian enterprises is a pure money grab, based on a desire to make money for the maintenance of EU infrastructure. Only 19 percent said it was to take care of the planet.

READ MORE: 100 degrees Fahrenheit! Eastern Siberian town shatters record for hottest-ever temperature inside Arctic Circle

With Russia’s vast expanse of land, it is one of the countries most affected by climate change. Earlier this year, a Siberian town broke the record for the highest temperature ever recorded within the Arctic Circle, hitting 38 degrees Celsius. The country has also seen vast swathes of forest in flames.

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