Poll support for state to step in over environment

THERE is an “overwhelming consensus” for more government-led action to protect the environment, according to an international survey.

Participants in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Poland, the UK and the US were surveyed by polling agency YouGov, working with Cambridge University.

More than 14,000 adults were surveyed, with about 2,000 participants from each country.

Nine out of 10 people in all countries except the USA, where it is three out of four, said they wanted governments to “do more” to protect the environment.

This included a majority of the Trump voters polled – 55 per cent – as well as 95 per cent of Biden voters in the US.

In the UK, it included 87 per cent of Conservative voters to 97 per cent Labour, and 96 per cent of Remain voters to 86 per cent of Leave voters.

Researchers asked participants which policies they want to see backed by governments at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), scheduled to be held in Glasgow in November.

In order of popularity, people wanted: more conservation, more tree-planting, more investment in clean technology and energy.

Participants were asked if they thought that businesses should be made “to pay for the damage they do when their activities contribute to climate change”.

In every country except China, baseline figures showed this to be a more popular policy than giving businesses a “fair timetable to stop activities that contribute to climate change.”

Dr Sander van der Linden, director of Cambridge’s Social Decision-Making Lab, said: “These survey results make it clear that irrespective of age, gender and nationality, citizens around the world want governments to do more to protect the environment.”