Young people are the group most concerned about the environment, but also one of the most resists paying green taxes. Spaniards between 18 and 34 years old do not hesitate to support actions that favor the fight against climate change, such as eating less meat and buying in second-hand stores, however, their support is much less forceful when it comes to implementing an ecological taxation.
This is clear from the latest report by the Cepsa Foundation and the consulting firm Red2Red, which concludes that, although young people are the most willing to contribute with their behaviors and daily decisions to reversing climate change, the trend is different when talking about measures. that involve a “economic sacrifice”.
Young Spaniards are at the forefront in the installation of solar panels (with almost 93% compared to 90% of the national average), they lead the repair of used appliances compared to their replacement with new ones (reaching 89% compared to the 86% average) and lead the consumption of second-hand products (74.5% compared to 64% nationally).
The picture changes when what is proposed is a greater fiscal contribution to sustain the energy transition, a measure that young people support in a 42%in front of 44,5% of national support. Furthermore, this group is below average in purchasing organic products, which are generally more expensive. “Precisely, It is older people (65 years or older) who are more willing to pay more taxes to facilitate the ecological transition process and buy ecological products, even if they are more expensive,” reflects the report.
In Spain, environmental taxes are divided into three, depending on whether they tax energy (in 2021 they represented 82% of the total), transportation (13,1%) or pollution and resources (4,9%). According to the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the collection from these ecological taxes amounted to 21,265 million euros in 2021a figure that was 8.5% more than in 2020, although these rates lost weight compared to the total taxes of the Spanish economy, where they represented 7.2%, compared to 7.6% the previous year.