Climate change seen by public as a serious threat to UK, study finds

In a nationally representative survey of 1,192 UK citizens aged between 19 and 87, almost 20% placed climate change in their top three most important issues facing the country today, with only the economy and health care ahead.

The report was compiled by the Climate Evidence Unit (CEU), which is an independent service provided by the University of Leeds’ Priestley Centre for Climate Futures.

The last survey of this kind was carried out in 2020 but researchers were keen to assess the public response to record breaking temperatures in 2022 as well as the effects of the cost-of-living crisis.

The results pointed to extreme weather already damaging people’s homes and impacting health and well-being, with 69% thinking that the UK is already feeling the effects of climate change.

More than half of respondents said they remembered experiencing discomfort during a heatwave, with 28% reporting heat-related health impacts, and nearly one in 10 said that they had experienced flood damage to their home.

Those surveyed thought that climate change would further impact food, water and human health in the near future, with more than three quarters agreeing that it was fairly or very likely that the UK would experience increases in food pricing, water shortages and coastal erosion by 2050.

In addition, 70% of respondents thought the UK should be addressing climate change with a high or extremely high level of urgency, with prioritisation of access to affordable food, water availability and health and wellbeing.

When asked who should be the most responsible for tackling climate change, 69% said they thought it should be the UK government.

Dr Rachel Harcourt, research fellow at the School of Earth and Environment and co-author of the report, said: “That people want lots more climate action, led by government, is not that surprising. What did surprise us is the extent to which people prioritised the basics of food, water, health and wellbeing.

“In the lead up to COP, this provides the government and other policy makers with some very clear evidence that they need to engage with people’s concerns about the need to adapt.”

John Barrett, professor in energy and climate policy and director at the CEU, added: “This is further insight from our Climate Evidence Unit highlighting the importance of adapting to climate change alongside rapid reductions in our greenhouse gas emissions.

“The report clearly shows that there is a strong public mandate to address climate impacts.”