After a year which has seen the world hit by a series of devastating weather events and President Trump announce plans to pull out of the Paris Agreement, UK adults are now more worried about climate change than they were a year ago, according to a YouGov poll published today.
When questioned about their concern earlier this month, 23 per cent of respondents to an online survey of 1,700 adults said they were more worried about the issue than they had been at the same time last year, compared to only three per cent who said they were less concerned.
Meanwhile, 43 per cent said they were concerned about climate-related issues in 2017 and expected their concerns to remain at the same level next year.
The results follows several UK surveys over the past year on attitudes to climate change. Seven in 10 British people now reportedly accept human activity is causing climate change, while support for renewable sources of electricity remains strong and enthusiasm for fracking is on the wane.
Climate change charity 10:10, which commissioned the latest survey, linked the heightened concerned shown in the poll to a number of high-profile stories this year, including the US signalling its intention to exit the Paris Agreement and a series of hurricanes which hit the US and Caribbean over the summer.
However, Alice Bell, co-director at 10:10 Climate Action, said while there had been a “lot to worry about” in the last year in regards to climate change, there was also “a lot we can do to make a difference and build the hope we want to see in the future”.
The charity is therefore encouraging those who feel concerned to step up their action on climate change in 2018, launching a ‘Climate Crush’ toolkit of tips, actions, and advice on how to help curb greenhouse gas emissions.
“We know a lot of people want to take action on climate change, but are unsure about where to start,” said Bell. “We also know that we’re going to tackle climate change, we need a whole load of people taking action in a whole range of ways – from eating less meat to getting your local streetlights switched to LED or lobbying the government on wind power. That’s why we’re providing a mix of tips, information and advice you need to make climate action a habit you can stick to in 2018.”
Source: businessgreen.com
