This was a real team effort - many thanks to Ella Henninger, Camille Fournier de Lauriere, Vally Koubi, Raeesa Moolla, Liam Beiser-McGrath, and Thomas Bernauer for a great collaboration.
Policy takeaway: support the most accepted low-cost actions, make high-impact tech affordable for lower-income households, and don’t spend political capital on measures with little emissions payoff.
Air pollution is a top priority in all cities. When asked to chose, 56% choose cleaner air over faster economic growth.
Majorities support stricter industry rules, expanded public transport, and household electrification - even when told these cost money.
Climate politics sounds increasingly polarised. But in Europe, support for climate isn’t driven by die-hard supporters or opponents. It tends to be shaped by a large “conditional middle” (33%).
Policymakers in polluted cities often hold back on ambitious clean air policy, worried the public will resist costs or prioritise economic growth instead.