Climate Change: The Public Perspective

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Climate Change The Public Perspective

• Dr Lucy Arnot
• Environmental Research Team
• Ipsos MORI

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Changing physical environment
Changing physical climate?
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In the face of this, we find

• The public are aware and concerned about climate
  change
• BUT there is a need for more clear, coherent and
  directive information because they are still
• Unclear about personal costs and benefits
• Unsure of the science of climate change
• Sceptical of man-made causes
• Confused about what actions to take
• Looking to the government to take the lead

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Rising concern
EC proposes carbon emission cuts of 20 by 2020
Q What do you see as the main/other important
issues facing Britain today? pollution/environme
nt SOURCE IPSOS MORI
Howard becomes Tory Leader
Cameron becomes Tory Leader
Blair announces departure
Wettest Autumn since records began widespread
flooding across the UK
Camerons Vote Blue, go Green campaign at 2006
local elections
Stern report
Buncefield Oil Depot fire toxic cloud reaches
northern Spain
Hurricane in Kensal Rise
9/11
London Bombs
Base c. 1,000 British adults 18
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Serious global threat
Q I am now going to read out four issues facing
the World today. Please can you tell me which,
if any, of these is the most serious threat to
the future wellbeing of the World?
Change04-06
Global Warming
20
Terrorism
-16
Population growth
1
-5
HIV / AIDS
Base 1,002 GB adults 16 August 2006
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But it is still not a top NATIONAL concern
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Security and public services top the list
Q What would you say is the most important issue
facing Britain today?
important issue
NHS
Defence/Foreign Policy/ Terrorism
Education/Schools
Crime
Race Relations/ Immigration
Environment
Source Ipsos-MORI Political Monitor Long Term
Trends www.ipsos-mori.com/polls/trends/issues.sht
ml
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People say they are worried
Q How concerned, if at all, are you about climate
change, sometimes referred to as global warming?
No opinion
Not at all concerned
Not very concerned
Very concerned
Fairly concerned
Base 1,002 GB adults 16 August 2006
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And the threat isnt exaggerated
Q And to what extent do you agree or disagree
that too much fuss is made about climate change
nowadays?
Strongly agree
Tend to agree
Strongly disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Tend to disagree
Base 1,002 British adults, 25-27 August 2006
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They believe we are seeing the effects of climate
change
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that
you have personally seen evidence to climate
change?
Dont know
Strongly disagree
Tend to disagree
Strongly agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Tend to agree
Base 1,002 British adults, 25-27 August 2006
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but dont think it will have a significant
impact on them!
Q How much effect, if any, do you think climate
change will have on you personally? And on future
generations?
Personally
Source DfT, August 2006 NS Omnibus. Base
number 1,218
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We find the immediate benefits difficult to
identify
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Benefits of tackling climate change
Q Which, if any, of the following do you think
will have the most impact on your personally if
climate change were successfully tackled . . .?
A cleaner atmosphere
Greater stability and security for my children
Less severe weather
Greater variety/quality of wildlife or countryside
Lower increase in summer smog and air pollution
Less likelihood of water shortages
Slower spread of disease
Less likelihood of being flooded
Not having to pay for the new infrastructure
Dont have to suffer the discomfort of high temps
Lower insurance premiums
None of these
Other
Dont know
Base All respondents 2,037. Fieldwork dates
14th 20th June 2007
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Ongoing confusion over the science of climate
change
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(No Transcript)
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Public views of the complexity and uncertainty of
climate change
Q Do you agree or disagree that climate change is
too complex and uncertain for scientists to make
useful forecasts?
Dont know
Strongly agree
Strongly disagree
Tend to agree
Tend to disagree
Neither/nor
Base 2,037 British adults, 14th 20th June 2007
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Media contradictions

• The next few years are critical in the fight for
  the climate, The Sunday Telegraph 4/2/07
• The Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC is
  unequivocal in its conclusion that climate change
  is happening and that humans are contributing to
  the changesThe worlds best scientists are
  telling us it is time to do something about it
• Green tax wont help the planet or Tories, The
  Sunday Telegraph Leader, 11/3/07
• There are many reputable scientists who do not
  accept humans are contributing to climate
  change. Some of these voices were on display in
  the Great Global Warming Swindle, a powerful
  programme broadcast last week

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Public views of the scientific debate
Q Do you agree or disagree that many leading
experts still question if human activity is
contributing to climate change?
Strongly agree
Dont know
Strongly disagree
Tend to disagree
Tend to agree
Neither/nor
Base 2,037 British adults, 14th 20th June 2007
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Who do we think causes global warming?
Q Do you think that global warming is...
Mainly caused by natural processes
Partly caused by natural processes and partly
caused by human activity
Mainly caused by human activity
or do you think theres no such thing as climate
change?
Base 1,002 British adults 16 interviewed by
telephone, 25th-17th August 2006 and 600 British
adults 16, 3-5 July 2007
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But maybe our own ingenuity will save us???
Q Thinking now about environmental issues, to
what extent do you agree or disagree with the
following statements?
Agree
If there is no change in the world, we will soon
experience a major environmental crisis
Human ingenuity will ensure that we keep the
earth liveable
Nature is strong enough to cope with the impact
of modern industrial nations
Base 600 adults aged 16, 3-5 July 2007 1,547
adults aged 16, Aug 2002
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Confusion is not limited just to the science but
also to actions
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Uncertainty in taking action
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that it
is difficult to know which products are better
for society and the environment?
Strongly disagree (1)
Dont know (2)
Tend to disagree
Strongly agree
Neither/nor
Tend to agree
Base 1,057 GB adults 16, Aug-Sep 2006
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Which behaviours do we thinkhelp the most?
Q Which of the actions on this list, if any, do
you think will do the most to help reduce climate
change?
Recycling
Developing cleaner engines for cars
Avoiding creating waste in the first place
Making fewer car journeys
Using less electricity
Taking fewer foreign holidays
Walking or cycling
Using public transport
Buying locally-grown food
People having fewer children
Base All respondents 2,037. Fieldwork dates
14th 20th June 2007
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And there are some we just dont want to change!
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Flying concern vs. behaviour
Qa To what extent, if at all, would you say you
are concerned about environmental damage caused
by air travel?
Qb In the next 12 months do you think you will
take?
Fewer flights
A great deal
A fair amount
About the same number of flights
Not very much
More flights
Not at all
Dont know
Dont know
Base Qa 600 adults, 3-5 July 2007 (The
Sun/Ipsos Mori) Qb 2,012 adults, 1-3 June 2007
(ICM/Airport Watch)
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We dont feel that we have much individual
influence anyway We want the government and
business to sort it out
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Its someone else's job!
Q How much influence do you thinkcan have on
limiting climate change?
A little
Dont know
None
Large
Some
UK Govt
Industry/business
Your Council/LA
Your local community
You personally
Base 1,059 households in Newcastle and the
North East, Government Office for the North East
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We say we support government intervention
Q How strongly do you agree or disagree that the
government should take the lead in combating
climate change, even if it means using the law to
change peoples behaviour?
Dont know
Strongly disagree
Tend to disagree
Strongly agree
Neither/nor
Tend to agree
Base 2,037 British adults, 14th 20th June 2007
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at a national level
Q In order to respond to the new energy
challenges that we have to face for the years to
come, what is, according to you, the most
appropriate level to take decisions?
National level
UK
Sweden
Ireland
Germany
EU 25
France
Netherlands
Spain
Italy
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But it depends how they do it
Q Which, if any, of the following would you
support?
Spending more on improving bus services
More safe routes for children to walk to school
Spending more on improving rail services
High taxes on less environmentally friendly cars
Measures to encourage car sharing
Better information on local public transport
More cycle tracks
Increasing the costs of flying
Charge motorists to enter more town/cities
Increasing tax on petrol
Dont know/None of these
Increasing car parking charges
Source DfT, August 2006 NS Omnibus.
Respondents could choose more than one answer.
Base number 1,234
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Suspicious of eco-taxes

• If weve got to pay a bit more then I would. I
  just dont want to be lining their the
  Governments pockets, which is what I feel
  Governments all over the world are doing they
  are not really committed to the issue.
• Female, 35-54, AB
• In the Budget yesterday he Gordon Brown
  mentioned environmental this, environmental that.
  Is it a way of raising taxes? Probably. Is it
  going to help the environment? Unlikely.
• Male, 35-54, C1C2

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Some positive trends for the future
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We are willing to change
Q How strongly do you agree or disagree that you
would be prepared to change your behaviour to
help limit climate change?
Strongly tend to disagree
Dont know
Strongly agree
Neither/nor
Tend to agree
Source DfT, August 2006 NS Omnibus. Base
number 1,218
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and feel we can make a difference
Q And to what extent do you agree or disagree
that Britain can make a real difference in
stopping global climate change?
Dont know
Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
Tend to disagree
Neither/nor
Tend to agree
Base 1,002 British adults, 25-27 August 2006
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Need legislation plus informative social
marketing to overcome the challenge of cognitive
polyphasia
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Cognitive polyphasia
We vote the Government in to make these
decisions for us
We are intelligent people, we can make up our
own minds, after hearing the facts. Providing we
hear the facts
If a drink driving ban stops one person being
killed, then its worth it
Give us the credit for thinking for ourselves
The same person can express apparently
contradictory views
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Conclusions

• We are aware and concerned
• We are willing to make changes and think we can
  make a difference
• But we want to be led, and we want to know that
  whatever is being done is fair

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Tipping point or turning point?

• www.ipsos-mori.com
• phil.downing_at_ipsos-mori.com
• lucy.arnot_at_ipsos-mori.com