Public Readiness and Willingness to Support Initiatives for a Green Transition in Moldova Country Report

The report finds that while a majority of Moldovans (61%) perceive their understanding of climate change as good or very good, actual engagement in environmental activities is around 57%. Public priorities for environmental protection are led by access to clean water and sanitation and waste management. There is significant concern (65%) regarding dependence on foreign energy sources, with strong support for developing solar and wind power. Educational institutions are viewed as the most important actors in driving environmental action, while corporate sustainability initiatives receive the highest level of public support. Barriers to individual engagement include a lack of time (62%) and financial costs (34%).

• A majority of the Moldovan public believes they have a good or very good understanding of climate change, with 40% rating it as "good" and 21% as "very good". This perceived knowledge peaks among those aged 35-44 and is strongly correlated with higher education levels; 83% of PhD holders rate their understanding as "good".
• Most respondents (73%) acknowledge that climate change personally affects them or their social circles. The most cited negative impacts are adverse health effects (85%), daily life disruptions from weather changes (74%), and natural disasters (54%).
• Deforestation is the most recognized human-related driver of climate change, cited by 81% to 85% of respondents across rural, urban, and capital areas. Conversely, non-energy-efficient practices are the least acknowledged root cause.
• The public's top priorities for environmental protection in Moldova are access to clean water and sanitation, followed by improving waste management and reducing transport emissions. Deterioration of food product quality is identified as the most pressing environmental issue affecting daily life.
• Educational institutions are perceived as the most important (POI=4.13) and efficient (POE=3.36) actors in environmental protection. In contrast, religious institutions are viewed as the least important and the private sector as the least efficient.
• Approximately 57% of the population engages in environmental protection activities, with the highest participation rates among PhD holders (72%), students (63%), and rural residents (63%). The most effective individual action is perceived to be recycling and reducing waste.
• The primary obstacles preventing people from engaging in environmental activities are a lack of time (62%), the fact that such activities are not a common practice (39%), financial costs (34%), and a lack of information (34%).
• Gas is the primary energy price concern for 44% of the public, particularly urban residents (55%). Only 14% of households have attempted to adopt renewable energy, with cost (58%) and impracticality (23%) cited as the main barriers.
• There is high public concern regarding dependence on foreign energy sources (65%). The most supported strategy to achieve energy independence is the development of the solar and wind power industries (70%).
• Corporate sustainability initiatives receive the highest public support, with 56% of respondents being either extremely or very likely to support them. NGO projects are the least likely to be supported by the public.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2025). Public Readiness and Willingness to Support Initiatives for a Green Transition in Moldova Country Report. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/publicperceptionstudy-moldova-eng.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Public Readiness and Willingness to Support Initiatives for a Green Transition in Moldova Country Report. 2025. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/publicperceptionstudy-moldova-eng.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Public Readiness and Willingness to Support Initiatives for a Green Transition in Moldova Country Report |date=May 2025 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/publicperceptionstudy-moldova-eng.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2025public, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Public Readiness and Willingness to Support Initiatives for a Green Transition in Moldova Country Report}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/publicperceptionstudy-moldova-eng.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }