Tracker data: Low levels of trust in political parties to speak about climate change

Climate Barometer tracker data shows that the public, and strikingly MPs, do not put the political party they voted for in the top three most trusted sources to speak on the subject of climate change.

In the public data, only 2% selected this option, including only 1% of Conservative voters.

For MPs, the figure is higher at 14%, but hardly a ringing endorsement.

Because of the way the question was asked, sources with the ‘credentials’ to speak on climate change are likely to have been preferentially selected. However, the fact that the voters for (and political representatives of) their own political parties don’t see themselves as being trusted on climate suggests there is a space in the national political discourse for credible, climate-literate politicians.

The top three trusted messengers for MPs are:

1) Academics, 2) Naturalists such as David Attenborough and Chris Packham, and 3) The Climate Change Committee.

The top three trusted messengers for the public are:

1) Scientists, 2) Naturalists such as David Attenborough and Chris Packham, and 3) None of the above.