Concern for the environment doubled on last month in one poll
The latest polling shows climate change is at the forefront of the public’s concerns, despite the government and right-wing media outlets’ attempts to push an alternative agenda.
In two sets of polls released this week, climate change and the environment were third on the list of most important issues people feel Britain is facing today.
Concern for the environment doubled on last month, to become the joint-third biggest issue facing the country, in a poll by the market research organisation Ipso, with one in four Britons citing it as a top issue.
Increased news coverage due to wildfires and extreme heat across the globe has pushed climate change into the headlines, as well as a series of high-profile cases of climate activism this summer.
Money concerns remained the top issue for Britons, as inflation and the economy were seen as the two biggest issues affecting households right now. Whilst healthcare concerns came in joint-third with climate change.
This means worry over climate change is at its highest level since the COP26 conference in Glasgow in November 2021.
The organisation More in Common also revealed climate change and the environment as the third top concern in their poll of voters this month. This rose slightly on the last months to also account for one in four of the general population they polled.
Cost of living remained the top issue for 72% of those polled by More in Common, followed by supporting the NHS. Cost of living has remained by far the top issue for the public in the More in Common polls since July last year.
Both polls also revealed an increase in concern for immigation, which is at its highest level since 2017 according to Ipso data.
Whilst a recent poll by the New Statesman found the majority of the public were not convinced that Rishi Sunak can lead the way on protecting the environment. Only slightly more than a third of respondents said they believed he was committed to the UK’s environmental targets.
The paper’s survey highlighted how the government have failed to accurately represent the concerns of voters. Whilst media outlets such as The Sun and GB News continue to downplay climate change and undermine those fighting to push the environment higher onto the political agenda.
Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward, focusing on trade unions and environmental issues
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