A 2025 survey CEDMO Trends conducted by IPSOS for Charles University reveals that most people in the Czech Republic and Slovakia believe climate change is real and largely driven by human activity, despite low confidence in governments’ ability to respond effectively.
Claims circulating in Czech online spaces argue that solar power plants worsen global warming and that the European Union (EU) or the World Economic Forum (WEF) are pushing extreme climate policies. However, fact-checks consistently show these narratives are either misleading or entirely fabricated. In reality, solar panels have a negligible warming effect compared to major climate drivers and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Neither the EU nor the WEF has proposed mandatory home renovations, bans on inefficient buildings, or restrictions on home gardening.
In Slovakia, recurring disinformation denies human-caused climate change or spreads false claims about CO₂, energy systems, and major infrastructure projects. Fact-checkers have debunked these assertions, including claims about the alleged insignificance of CO₂ or exaggerated impacts of new EU emission allowances, where realistic expert estimates show far lower household costs than those claimed by disinformation sources.
Mixed feelings about how to respond to climate change
In the Czech Republic, 44% of respondents say climate change is mainly or entirely caused by human activity, while another 36% believe human and natural factors play an equal role. In Slovakia, the figures are nearly identical, with 43% attributing climate change primarily to human actions. Only small minorities in either country deny that climate change is happening.
Despite this awareness, feelings of personal responsibility are more ambivalent. Around three in ten respondents in both countries feel a strong personal obligation to mitigate climate change, while roughly a third do not. Younger people and women are more likely to feel responsible.
When weighing environmental protection against economic growth, about half of the respondents in both countries prioritize protecting the environment, with the preference
particularly strong among people under 24. Support for climate education is even stronger: nearly two-thirds of respondents in both Czechia and Slovakia agree that education and public awareness need to be improved.
Skepticism is strongest regarding government action. In Czechia, 63% believe it is unlikely that governments worldwide will take effective climate mitigation measures; in Slovakia, 52% share this view. Opinions are divided on investing public money in climate efforts abroad and on whether technology can stop or reverse climate change.
Overall, the findings show broad recognition of climate change in both countries but also uncertainty about personal and political responsibility.
Further details can be found in the brief.
