Levels of concern about energy and the environment

The initial survey questions addressed the main concerns of adults living in the UK.

British adults rate concerns about the environment as second only to those about crime. Worries about immigration, unemployment and the NHS are less salient than anxieties about the environment, with 12% of adults expressing concerns about the environment and 5% of adults expressing concerns about the NHS.

Q. Now for some questions about energy usage and the environment. What worries you most about life in the UK at the moment? (Spontaneous top mentions)
Base: All UK adults (1,946), Brunswick Research

The survey also explored whether Britons agreed or disagreed that people were having a “destructive impact” on the environment and the climate. Over three quarters (77%) agree with the statement “human activities are having a destructive effect on the environment and our climate”. One in eight (12%) do not agree with this sentiment.

This view is held across all regions of the UK, though those in Scotland believe most strongly that humans are to blame (86% agree). At the same time, only 7% (the lowest level in the country) of those in Yorkshire & Humber disagree with the sentiment that “human activities are having a destructive effect on the environment and our climate”.

Across the age groups, those are aged 55 and over are least likely to believe that humans are having a destructive impact on the environment: just 70% agree with this compared to 84% aged 25-34 and 83% of those aged 35-44.

Q. Do you agree or diagree that....
Base: All UK adults (1,946), Brunswick Research

 

Base: UK adults by age and region, Brunswick Research

In terms of those who question the impact of people on the environment, it was clear from the workshop sessions that media coverage questioning the extent of climate change has partly influenced some people’s attitudes.