Green Britain: Daily Express launches campaign with Ecotricity
It found that two in three of us are worried by climate change and the decline in wildlife.
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The same proportion is worried about the state of the planet that we will leave for future generations. Remarkably, concerns about the environment far outstrip one of the traditional issues focussed on by politicians. The survey of 2,167 UK adults last week by Savanta ComRes found 39 percent were worried about crime in their local area.
And only in one in 10 of those polled said they were not worried about the environment.
Despite the immediate, daily horror of the death toll from the pandemic more people see climate change as a greater long term threat – 26 percent compared to 23 percent.
Unsurprisingly virtually everyone felt that improving the NHS (89 percent) and distributing the Covid vaccine (87 percent) were important issues for the Government.
But protecting wildlife, cutting pollution and increasing the use of renewable energy were rated as important Governmental priorities by between 81 percent and 83 percent – about the same level as cutting unemployment and improving education.
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The figures contradict the traditional message from political parties that the environment is a low priority for voters – and points to a political mandate for action to protect the planet.
Older adults are more worried about climate change and the loss of wildlife than younger adults, at 69 percent for the over 55s and about 61 percent for 18-34-year-olds.
Paradoxically, young adults are nearly twice as likely as the over-55s to believe that climate change rather than the pandemic poses the greater threat to humanity in the long term (35% vs. 18%).
But this may be because the older generation is likely to see them both as equally grave threats.
There is also strong evidence that the pandemic has helped turn people to nature.
Three-quarters of the adults polled said nature and green spaces had helped them get through the pandemic, which is in line with many other surveys.
It is reflected by rising viewing figures for TV nature programmes such as Winterwatch and the 2,000 percent increase last year in people viewing Wildlife Trust webcams at their reserves.
There is also strong support for the Daily Express Zero for Zero campaign to persuade the Government to scrap taxes that punish green activities and reward polluters.
Two in three (65 percent) back increasing taxes on polluters in a clear endorsement of a “make the polluter pay” policy.
Similarly, 58 percent favour hiking taxes on products which pollute the most while 53 percent and 52 percent respectively back cutting taxes for green products and businesses.
Significantly opposition to tax cuts for green products and firms is around just 17 percent – about the same proportion as against boosting taxes for polluters.
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