UN Climate Survey: Widespread Global Support for Stronger Environmental Action

A recent United Nations survey, the largest yet on climate change, reveals that four in five people globally want their countries to intensify efforts to combat the issue. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) released the poll on June 20, showing that the majority of people in 62 out of the 77 countries surveyed support a swift transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. This includes 80 percent of respondents in China and 54 percent in the United States, although only 16 percent in Russia approve of such a move.

Conducted in collaboration with Oxford University and GeoPoll, the survey involved 75,000 people across 77 countries, representing 87 percent of the world's population. Overall, 80 percent of those polled desire stronger climate action, with the demand rising to 89 percent in poorer nations more acutely affected by climate change.

Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, noted that the Peoples' Climate Vote shows a strong, global demand for leaders to take immediate and bold action against the climate crisis. The survey, with unprecedented scope, reveals widespread support across diverse regions and cultures, showing that prioritizing climate change is truly an urgent matter. Steiner calls on leaders to heed this consensus, especially as nations prepare their climate action pledges under the Paris Agreement. The unified global voice stresses the need for ambitious, transformative strategies and collaborative efforts to ensure our future is a sustainable one. The vote acts as a directive for leaders to prioritize climate action and fulfill their commitments.

Doing Away with Fossil Fuels

In addition to a widespread call for more ambitious climate action, the survey divulges that a global majority of 72 percent supports a rapid transition away from fossil fuels. This sentiment is notably strong even in the world's top 10 oil, coal, and gas-producing countries, with majorities ranging from 89 percent in Nigeria to 54 percent in the United States.

In the survey, it is also shown that only 7 percent of people worldwide believe their country should not transition away from fossil fuels at all. This overwhelming consensus proves there is a powerful global demand for decisive steps towards cleaner energy sources, reflecting a clear recognition of the dire need to address the climate crisis.

The strong support for transitioning away from fossil fuels, even in major producing countries, signifies a huge shift in public opinion. People around the world are increasingly aware of the environmental and economic benefits of renewable energy and the necessity of reducing carbon emissions to mitigate climate change impacts. This global mandate should inspire and compel leaders to implement bold and swift actions in order to move towards a sustainable and resilient energy future.

Public Climate Concern Surveyed

A global survey shows widespread concern about climate change, with 56 percent of people thinking about it regularly, and higher rates in Least Developed Countries (63 percent) and Small Island Developing States (71 percent). Over half of the global population reported increased worry compared to last year, and 69 percent said climate change influenced major life decisions. This influence was more pronounced in LDCs (74 percent) compared to Western and Northern Europe (52 percent) and North America (42 percent).

Professor Stephen Fisher from Oxford noted the survey's scientific rigor and inclusivity, while Cassie Flynn from UNDP touched on the strong global support for bold climate action. The survey included traditionally hard-to-poll groups and some countries being polled on climate change for the first time. The findings hopefully give a sense of urgency for world leaders to act as they prepare their next climate pledges under the Paris Agreement by 2025.

Through UNDP’s Climate Promise initiative, over 100 developing countries have enhanced their Nationally Determined Contributions, with 91 percent increasing targets for reducing emissions and 93 percent strengthening adaptation goals, demonstrating a strong commitment to addressing climate change to the extent that all hope for an eco-friendly future should not be lost by the public.