The document analyzes public opinion surveys on climate change in the UK from 2009-2014. It finds that around 56-57% of the public believes that climate change is real and man-made, while agreement with the scientific consensus has remained stable over the past 5 years. However, climate change is rarely identified as a top priority issue except during extreme weather events like flooding. While renewable energy sources remain popular, opposition to fracking will depend on real-world experiences with the technology.

1. What do the public think about climate change?
Leo Barasi
October 2014
@leobarasi
www.noiseofthecrowd.com

2. Agreement with climate science has been
stable for nearly five years
Which of the following best describes your views on climate change? (ICM)
Which of the following statements do you agree with most? (Carbon Brief)
Which of these views about climate change is closest to your own? (ComRes)
56%
33%
Dec '09 (ICM)
June '12 (ICM)
Jan '13 (Carbon Brief)
Aug '13 (Carbon Brief)
Aug '14 (ComRes)
5% 6%
57%
30%
7% 6%
56%
33%
6% 5%
56%
37%
7%
57%
28%
4%
11%
It's real and manmade It's real but not manmade It's not happening Don't know
Source: ICM ’09-’12; Opinium ’13; ComRes ‘14
* Aug ‘13 Carbon Brief poll didn’t include a don’t know/none of the above option
*

3. Around two thirds of ‘sceptics’ want a global
deal to reduce emissions
Satisfaction/dissatisfaction that the Copenhagen Accord aims to reduce worldwide
emissions by 50 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020
83%
69%
62%
12%
24% 24%
Think that "Global warming is a fact and is
mostly caused by emissions from vehicles
and industrial facilities"
Think that "Global warming is a fact and is
mostly caused by natural changes"
Think that "Global warming is a theory that
has not yet been proven"
Satisfied Dissatisfied

4. Of those who think climate change is natural,
nearly half want government action to tackle it
The government should invest money into preventing climate change, even if this means slower
economic recovery
It is possible for the government to promote economic growth and tackle climate change at the
same time
The government should be doing everything it can to promote economic growth, even if this
means tackling climate change is a lower priority
None of the above
31%
44% 45%
7%
22%
38%
2%
10%
People who say climate change/global
warming is real and mostly caused by humans
(54% of all)
People who say climate change/global
warming is real and mostly caused by natural
processes (32% of all)
Source: Opinium ‘13

5. Two thirds think climate change is a serious
problem – very few disagree
Which of the following statements about climate change do you agree with most?
67%
13% 12%
Jan '13 (Carbon Brief)
Aug '13 (Carbon Brief)
8%
68%
16% 16%
Climate change could be a
serious problem and we need
to act now to try to prevent it
happening in the future
Climate change could be a
serious problem but we don’t
need to worry about it for
now
Climate change will probably
never be a serious problem
Don't know
Source: Opinium ‘13
* Aug ‘13 Carbon Brief poll didn’t include a “none of the above” option
*

6. The ‘pause’ has had minimal cut-through: 4x as
many think they remember hearing fake stories
48%
34%
25%
21%
18%
5%
The government
has launched a
scheme to help
people save
money (the Green
Deal)
Scientists have
been accused of
faking data about
climate change
Scientists have
met to talk about
the UK's recent
unusual weather
China has
announced it will
not limit carbon
dioxide emissions
for another 10
years
The world's
temperatures
have risen by 4C
since the
beginning of the
Industrial
Revolution
Climate change
has stopped over
the last 16 years
Recall from prompted list of real and fake news stories (top 5 & ‘pause’)
Source: Opinium March 2013

7. Renewable – including onshore wind – remain
easily the most popular power sources
Would you support or oppose the following power sources being built within 10 miles of
your home?
Strongly support Slightly support 52%
28%
Source: Opinium August 2013
9% 9% 8% 9% 7%
24%
16% 15% 14% 12%
11%
25% 24% 22% 20%
18%
Wind turbines Gas power stations Coals mines Coal power plants Nuclear power
plants
Shale gas wells

8. Shale gas is still largely an unknown quantity –
and opposition will be tested by experience
Support / opposition for
extracting shale gas
Support Neither Oppose
21% 22% 24%
48% 44% 47%
27% 29% 24%
Dec 2013 March 2014 June 2014
Source: DECC/TNS tracker
Source: Opinium August 2013

9. Few think green taxes cause high energy bills –
but when reminded, most want them shifted
What do you think is the main reason for the
increases in consumer gas and electricity
prices over the last 12 months?
48%
16%
7%
7%
22%
Energy companies have
raised prices to make extra
profit
Wholesale gas prices have
gone up
Prices have increased due
to inflation
Increased government taxes
to fund renewables such as
wind turbines
Others
Source: Opinium March 2013
Future of the “green levy” on energy bills
15%
39%
34%
This money should
continue to be spent,
and should continue to
be funded by a levy on
people's energy bills
This money should
continue to be spent,
but should be funded
from other taxes instead
of people's energy bills
This money should no
longer be spent, and
should no longer be
funded from people's
energy bills
Source: YouGov/Sunday Times 2013

10. Compared with other issues, climate change is
never a high priority...
Source: Ipsos MORI

11. ... except when it is
11%
Which of the following do you think are the most
important issues facing the country at this time?
Please tick up to three. % selecting environment
10%
11%
13%
23%
9%
8%
6%
March April 7-8
24-25
March
10-11
February
24-25
February
10-11
January
27-28
January
21-22
January
13-14
Source: YouGov, 2014
Do you think the weather that caused the
recent flooding was or was not a result of
climate change?
40%
44%
15%
The flooding was
probably a result of
changing weather
patterns due to climate
change
The flooding was
probably nothing at all to
do with climate change
Don't know

12. Flooding is expected to become more frequent
– and people are worried
80%
17%
More flooding
Concerned
Has become more frequent
Will become more common by
2050
83% 81% Not concerned
Flooding
Source: Ipsos MORI / Defra 2013
How concerned would you be if by 2050
the UK did have...

13. The emerging attacks on climate policy?
1. Mitigation is a failure: adaptation is all that’s left
2. Others aren’t mitigating: no point UK making
sacrifices

14. What do the public think about climate change?
Leo Barasi
October 2014
@leobarasi
www.noiseofthecrowd.com