Climate Emotions

Government opinion tracker shows levels of climate concern remain high in 2023

21 September 2023

Government climate opinion tracker data shows that concern about climate change remains very high in the UK in 2023:

The majority of people (81%) said they were at least fairly concerned about climate change in summer 2023, with no significant change in overall levels of concern since Winter 2022 and Spring 2023 (82%). In Summer 2023, 40% said they were very concerned and 4% said they were not at all concerned.
There has been a slow but steady decline in overall concern since Autumn 2021, and a steady increase in the proportion of people saying they were not very or not at all concerned – but the overall trend is continuing high concern.

There were also some important differences between segments of the population:

Concern about climate change was higher for women (85%, compared with 78% of men)
Concern was higher for people educated to degree level (88%, compared with 82% of those with other qualifications and 70% of people with no qualifications).
The proportion of those ‘very concerned’ about climate change was higher among those aged over 65 (46%) and lower among those aged 16 to 24 (34%) and those aged 35 to 44 (33%).

Reference article:

Date: 21st September 2023

DESNZ Public Attitudes Tracker: Net Zero and Climate Change Summer 2023, UK

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In new research from Kings College London (KCL), divisions over climate change are seen as worse than divisions over Brexit, with the public more likely to say there is tension between climate change sceptics and believers (64%) than between Leavers and Remainers (52%), or between younger and older generations (45%).

This is despite the broad-based consensus on the importance of the issue that Climate Barometer data evidences, and which is seen consistently in wider research (e.g. the recent Britain Talks Climate & Nature report, which highlights widespread care for nature, wildlife and the benefits that the transition to clean, renewable energy can bring).

More new research (from Hope Not Hate) diving into the differences between people who intend to vote Reform highlights climate change as one of the dividing lines among a disjointed coalition of factions. ‘Squeezed Stewards’ (in an echo of More in Common’s ‘Rooted Patriots’ segment, who have high levels of threat perception around environmental risks) care about nature and acknowledge the climate crisis. But the ‘Hardline Conservatives’ subgroup of Reform backers are much more likely to be in the minority of people who reject action on climate change entirely.

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The public feel ‘worried’, ‘sad’, and ‘no emotions’ about climate change

Climate Barometer survey data shows the range of emotions that the public feel about climate change. Worry (43%) and sadness (20%) are the most frequently felt emotions by the British public overall, with the next most frequently chosen option being ‘I feel no emotion about climate change’.

There are differences in the emotions experienced by different types of voters. Those intending to vote Labour, Lib Dems and Greens felt mostly ‘worried’, ‘sad’, and ‘scared’. Whilst negative, these are active emotional reactions which wider research suggests are associated with engagement with climate change, and support for climate policy (although can also lead to a sense of fatalism).

Those intending to vote Conservative were ‘worried’ as well, but the next most frequently chosen options were ‘hopeful’, ‘no emotions’ and ‘interested’. This somewhat more positive emotional register perhaps reflects greater faith in existing institutions (‘the establishment’) to address the challenge of climate change.

The most frequently selected option for Reform UK voters was ‘I feel no emotions about climate change’. Whilst this certainly indicates a lack of positive engagement with climate change, it also echoes what wider polling has found about the lack of salience of climate change as an issue impacting Reform voters’ electoral choices. It is perhaps more accurate to characterise Reform voters as ‘not interested in’ rather than ‘opposed to’ net zero.

Slightly different patterns can be seen among the seven British segments, where Progressive Activists are much more likely to report anger (30%), and Disengaged Battlers more likely to say they are scared (25%). Established Liberals are among the most hopeful (20%), and Disengaged Traditionalists are the most likely to say they feel no emotions about climate change (36%), followed by Backbone Conservatives (21%).

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