According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Peoples’ Climate Vote survey, 64 per cent of the respondents believe climate change is a global emergency. Good news that this number also includes over 0,5 million people under the age of 18, who could be considered as the most relevant ones as climate change will affect primarily their lives.
People were asked if climate change was a global emergency and whether they supported 18 key climate policies across six action areas: economy, energy, transport, food and farms, nature and protecting people. Among the results, eight out of the ten countries with the highest emissions from the power sector wish for more renewable energy. Moreover, in four out of the five countries with the highest emissions from land-use change, the majority support the conservation of forests and land. Also, nine out of the ten most urbanised countries desire more clean electric vehicles on their roads.
“The results of the survey clearly illustrate that urgent climate action has broad support amongst people around the globe, across nationalities, age, gender and education level,” said Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator. “But more than that, the poll reveals how people want their policymakers to tackle the crisis. From climate-friendly farming to protecting nature and investing in a green recovery from COVID-19, the survey brings the voice of the people to the forefront of the climate debate. It signals ways in which countries can move forward with public support as we work together to tackle this enormous challenge.”
According to the survey, in the CEE region, the public belief in climate emergency was the highest in Georgia (68 per cent), followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina (60 per cent), Poland (59 per cent) and Moldova (50 per cent).
The People’s Climate Vote survey showed that younger people were more likely to say climate change is an emergency than older people, as well as a direct link between the level of a person’s education and the desire for climate action: there was very high recognition of the climate emergency among those who had attended university or college in all countries. The most supported areas were conserving forests and land, having more renewable power, adopting climate-friendly farming techniques and investing more in green businesses and jobs.
