THE SURVEY

The CO2 PACMAN project focuses on transitioning Mediterranean islands towards climate neutrality by developing advanced assessment tools and fostering collaborative efforts among public authorities, citizens, and stakeholders. Building on successful outcomes from past initiatives, the project focuses on co-creating innovative technologies and comprehensive planning. CO2 PACMAN empowers islands to become sustainable and resilient communities.

In the framework of the CO2 PACMAN project, a survey on the perception and attitude towards transition of Mediterranean islands towards climate neutrality has been developed and targeted to the general public. The survey has been conducted in 3 pilot islands through a common questionnaire and interviews. The results obtained include climate change mitigation, attitudes and behaviours of citizens regarding CO2 neutrality. The active participation of citizens in energy transition is a crucial element for a proper climate neutrality planning. For this purpose, the investigation on social dimension has been considered in designing an appropriate framework involving concerned communities.

The survey was conducted in 3 islands of the Mediterranean basin through a questionnaire, distributed face-to-face to more than 549 interviews, prepared by the CO2 PACMAN Partners. The questionnaire consisted of 22 questions to ensure a high degree of comparability in the results. Interviews took place between February and June 2025 and the 3 islands involved were: Brac (Croatia), Crete (Greece) and Elba (Italy).

The survey results helped and guided the development of their project activities, including communication to the general public. This study provided insights on how different topics are perceived by the population in involved countries/islands, and to what extent local communities are inclined to accept and support climate neutrality actions and policies.

The survey has the potential to become a model for its replication in other countries and islands to have a more understanding on the climate neutrality perception of the population of the Mediterranean area.