Back

How do people really feel about climate change?

For the last four years we've carried out our climate action survey to better understand the attitudes to climate change across the South West, as well as the actions we're each taking to play our part.

Almost 500 people completed our latest survey, from 18 to 80 year olds. With the twin threats of the cost of living crisis and climate change, and the average global mean temperatures for 2023 the highest on record, the insights are more eye-opening than ever.

We asked people how they feel about the climate crisis, what they're currently doing to play their part, and who they think can have the biggest impact when it comes to tackling the climate emergency.

The results from the survey help us to better understand how we can drive change, by showing which actions people are least keen to take, and where they aspire to do more, as well as how behaviour trends are changing over time.

Insights in a nutshell...

1) Climate anxiety is on the rise

Almost half of respondents stated that climate change and the future of our planet was a big concern for them, reporting levels of concern similar to previous years. This year's survey showed a sustained increase in negative feelings related to climate change, with feelings such as sadness, anxiety and overwhelm on the rise.

This suggests that people are increasingly feeling the impact of the climate crisis, as it makes a more tangible impact on our daily lives.

2) Cost-saving sustainable actions, like wasting less, are becoming more commonplace

The increase in climate anxiety seems to have sparked more action to combat climate change; our survey shows a general increase in people's intentions to supporting sustainable habits. The biggest increase in activity we found was related to wasting less water and food, likely also linked to the current economic conditions.

Our 2022 and 2023 surveys have both shown emerging behaviour trends related to the cost of living crisis, such as 48% of people agreeing that the economic landscape has made it more difficult to live a sustainable lifestyle. This is supported by research from Deloitte, which found that the primary barrier to adopting a more sustainable lifestyle was cost. We are likely to see the impact of this in spending choices in 2024, especially related to more costly sustainable behaviours like renewable energy and electric vehicles as people change priorities, so we need to support and share more cost-effective ways to take action.

3) Governments should step up

When it comes to taking action, most people still feel that national governments are responsible for addressing the climate crisis (54% of respondents chose this option), with most of us agreeing that it's also governments whose actions can have the most impact (31% agreed, a 2% increase on last year).

This emphasis on the power and responsibility of governments to take action against climate change reflects a desire for a solid environmental strategy from our leaders, as well as using our vote wisely to choose a more hopeful future.

Values around sustainability

Thinking of climate change, which one of the following describes how you feel about it?

17% said it was the issue/one of the issues they are most concerned about, the same as in 2020 and 2021.

42% stated that it was a big concern, compared to 46% in 2022, 47% in 2021 and 44% in 2020.

16% stated it was a concern but I'm not doing much about it, compared to 15% in previous years.

15% said it is somewhat of a concern to me, compared to 17% in 2022 and 2021, and 18% in 2020.

2% said it was little or no concern, compared to 3% in 2022 and 4% in 2021 and 2020.

3% said they don't believe in climate change, compared to 2% in 2022 and 2020, and 0% in 2021.

This shows that attitudes to climate change are remaining consistent over time - and that the split between those taking action and those who aren't is staying the pretty much the same.

We also asked respondents some questions regarding how the cost of living crisis has impacted their beliefs:

"The cost of living crisis has made me more aware of global issues"

43% agreed.

"The cost of living crisis has made it difficult to live a sustainable lifestyle"

48% agreed.

"Given all that's going on in the world, I find myself just wanting to go back to basics"

50% agreed, compared to 48% in 2022, 53% in 2021 and 79% in 2020.

"I feel the good life is further out of reach than it used to be"

50% agreed, compared to 45% in 2022, 45% in 2021 and 62% in 2020.

The data shows that people are swaying back towards similar attitudes to those seen during the pandemic, where a 'back to basics' way of living is seen as more desirable, though also further out of reach.

Feelings around sustainability

This question gives more insight into the complex emotions we're all feeling about climate change.

Since 2020, our feelings around climate change continue to shift away from positive feelings like hope and determination, and more towards negative feelings like sadness, anxiety and overwhelm.

This shows a real need for more action from larger organisations, as well as more empowerment within communities, to help turn climate anxiety into climate action.

Positive feelings:

8% said they were optimistic, hopeful - compared to 12% in 2022, 13% in 2021 and 17% in 2020.

11% said they were determined, motivated - compared to 13% in 2022, 11% in 2021 and 16% in 2020.

2% said they were confident, reassured, calm - compared to 2% in 2022 and 2021, and 3% in 2020.

Negative feelings:

27% said they were overwhelmed - compared to 26% in 2022, 25% in 2021 and 28% in 2020.

32% said they were sad, upset - compared to 31% in 2022, 29% in 2021 and 17% in 2020.

27% said they were anxious, scared, worried - compared to 28% in 2022, 27% in 2021 and 15% in 2020.

23% said they were angry, frustrated - compared to 24% in 2022, 23% in 2021 and 12% in 2020.

17% said they were resigned - compared to 16% in 2022,12% in 2021 and 11% in 2020.

9% said they were tired, fatigued - compared to 12% in 2022, 11% in 2021 and 9% in 2020.

7% said they were guilty - compared to 9% in previous years.

6% said they were sceptical - compared to 8% in 2022 and 7% in 2021 and 2020.

4% said they were bored, indifferent, not interested - the same as in previous years.

What people are already doing

How often do you currently behave this way to protect the planet, its people and resources?

Our survey reveals which sustainable behaviours are already in action, and which are less so.

We asked respondents to say whether they Always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely or Never behave this way, in context of the following sustainable actions:

Eat more fruits, vegetables, and plant-based foods
Switch to renewable energy sources and conserve energy
Walk, cycle or use public transport where possible
Purchase durable, reusable products instead of disposable ones
Reduce water and food waste
Recycle and choose products made with recycled content whenever possible
Choose nature-friendly products that protect habitats and biodiversity
Support causes and products that educate girls, aid family planning, or support women-owned business
Support brands offering inclusive and equitable products, policies and practices
Vote, actively participate in organizations, and buy from companies that support sustainable living

23% of our respondents stated that they Always adopt these sustainable behaviours (the same as 2022) and 33% of our respondents stated that they Often adopt these sustainable behaviours (compared to 32% in 2022).

Out of the 6 sustainable behaviour categories, the following 'always' behave in this way:

38% always reduce water and food waste, compared to 36% in 2022, 33% in 2021 and 24% in 2020.

29% always recycle and choose products with recycled content, compared to 29% in 2022, 26% in 2021 and 18% in 2020.

24% always use renewable energy and conserve energy, compared to 25% in 2022, 22% in 2021 and 16% in 2020.

23% always eat fruits, vegetables, and plant-based food, compared to 25% in 2022, 23% in 2021 and 16% in 2020.

23% always purchase durable products rather than disposable, compared to 23% in 2022, 22% in 2021 and 14% in 2020.

20% always choose nature friendly products that protect habitats and biodiversity, compared to 23% in 2022, 19% in 2021 and 11% in 2020.

What people intend to do

How much do you intend to behave this way in the future to protect the planet, its people and resources?

We asked respondents to say whether they Strongly intend to do this, Occasionally intend to do this or Never intend to do this, in context of the following sustainable actions:

Eat more fruits, vegetables, and plant-based foods
Switch to renewable energy sources and conserve energy
Walk, cycle or use public transport where possible
Purchase durable, reusable products instead of disposable ones
Reduce water and food waste
Recycle and choose products made with recycled content whenever possible
Choose nature-friendly products that protect habitats and biodiversity
Support causes and products that educate girls, aid family planning, or support women-owned business
Support brands offering inclusive and equitable products, policies and practices
Vote, actively participate in organizations, and buy from companies that support sustainable living

Collectively, we can see that the majority of respondents strongly intend to adopt sustainable behaviours:

49% - Strongly intend to do this

36% - Occassionally intend to do this

12% - Never intend to do this

Intentions reveal strong support for:

69% Strongly intend to reduce water and food waste, compared to 69% in 2022, 66% in 2021 and 78% in 2020.

57% Strongly intend to purchase durable products, not disposables, compared to 63% in 2022, 58% in 2021 and 69% in 2020.

58% Strongly intend to recycle and choose products with recycled content, whenever possible, compared to 60% in 2022, 58% in 2021 and 53% in 2020.

53% Strongly intend to switch to renewable energy and conserve energy, compared to 55% in 2022, 49% in 2021 and 59% in 2020

50% Strongly intend to choose nature friendly products that protect habitats and biodiversity, compared to 51% in 2022, 49% in 2021 and 57% in 2020

46% Strongly intend to eat more fruits, vegetables, and plant-based food, compared to 49% in 2022, 47% in 2021 and 53% in 2020

Where we see a reduction in strong support for certain behaviours when compared to previous years, this may be linked to the increase in the number of people who are already perfoming these behaviours in their everyday life. The impact of the cost of living crisis on our ability to choose more sustainable actions is also likely to play a role, as our priorities shift towards the most cost-effective way of living.

Who should be responsible

When it comes to addressing the climate crisis, who do you feel should be responsible?

Respondents were given the following options:

National governments
Larger companies and businesses
Smaller businesses
Local authorities/ cities
Individuals, through their everyday choices
Individuals, when organised collectively
Global organisations and institutions
Charities and NGOs
The media
Other, please specify

Respondents demonstrated through their answers a theme of shared responsibility with key focus on:

54% - National government, compared to 54% in 2022, and 51% in 2021 and 2020.

12% - Large companies and business, compared to 14% in 2022, 16% in 2021 and 14% in 2020.

11% - Individuals through their everyday choices, compared to 14% in 2022,12% in 2021 and 13% in 2020.

9% - Global organisations, compared to 11% in 2022, 10% in 2021 and 9% in 2020.

The focus on governmental responsibility remains the highest, showing how much our leader's stance on the climate crisis matters to the UK public.

Who can have the most impact

When it comes to addressing the climate crisis, which of the following do you believe can have the greatest positive impact?

Respondents were given the following options:

National governments
Larger companies and businesses
Smaller businesses
Local authorities/ cities
Individuals, through their everyday choices
Individuals, when organised collectively
Global organisations and institutions
Charities and NGOs
The media
Other, please specify

Respondents demonstrated through their answers a theme of shared responsibility, with key focus on:

31% - National government, compared to 29% in 2022 and 2021, and 27% in 2020.

21% - Large companies and business, compared to 22% in 2022, 25% in 2021 and 23% in 2020.

17% - Individuals through their everyday choices, compared to 22% in 2022, 15% in 2021 and 19% in 2020.

11% - Global organisations, compared to 14% in 2022, 12% in 2021 and 11% in 2020.

This year's survey shows that we feel that individuals and corporations have less ability to impact the climate crisis than in previous years, whilst the government has more. This shows the importance and power behind who we vote into government, and how impactful their environmental policies can be compared to our actions at an individual level.

How do people really feel about climate change?

For the last four years we've carried out our climate action survey to better understand the attitudes to climate change across the South West, as well as the actions we're each taking to play our part.

Insights in a nutshell...

1) Climate anxiety is on the rise

2) Cost-saving sustainable actions, like wasting less, are becoming more commonplace

3) Governments should step up

Values around sustainability

Thinking of climate change, which one of the following describes how you feel about it?

Feelings around sustainability

This question gives more insight into the complex emotions we're all feeling about climate change.

What people are already doing

How often do you currently behave this way to protect the planet, its people and resources?

What people intend to do

How much do you intend to behave this way in the future to protect the planet, its people and resources?

Who should be responsible

When it comes to addressing the climate crisis, who do you feel should be responsible?

Who can have the most impact

When it comes to addressing the climate crisis, which of the following do you believe can have the greatest positive impact?

What to read next?