Against the backdrop of extreme weather events, people are becoming increasingly worried about climate change. Over half of people globally are more worried about climate change than they were last year according to the Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024.
Carried out by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Oxford, the Peoples’ Climate Vote is the world’s largest standalone public opinion survey on climate change. The survey covers 77 countries, representing 87 per cent of the world’s population.
The major findings of the Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024 are presented in four sections.
The first three covers findings on the lived experience of climate change; how people perceive climate action already being undertaken; and what climate action people want their countries to take. The fourth section outlines how people want countries to work together against climate change.
Globally, about 43 per cent of people said their community experienced worse than usual extreme weather events this year, while 41 per cent said about the same as the previous year.
Many countries experienced some of the worst extreme weather events to date, such as the worst recorded wildfire season in Canada’s history; floods from Storm Daniel in Greece, Bulgaria, Türkiye and Libya; and Cyclone Freddy, the longest-lasting tropical cyclone ever recorded that battered Mozambique and Madagascar. Every continent was impacted by extreme weather events in 2023.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, 2023 was the hottest year on record by a clear margin, while records were broken for ocean heat, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice loss and glacier retreat.
The survey finds that big life decisions are also impacted by climate change in the midst of extreme weather events around the world.
For over two-thirds of the world’s population, climate change affected big decisions for their family such as where to live, where to work and what to buy.
The proportion of those affected is mainly in the least developed countries (74 per cent), but notably lower in Western and Northern Europe (52 per cent) and Northern America (42 per cent).
Climate change and displacement are increasingly interconnected as people are forced to look for safe places to live in.
Occupations related to agricultural and fishing practices are also affected by droughts and floods, whereas people’s purchasing decisions are changing as the environmental implications of products and services become better known.
In addition, most of the countries surveyed are in favour of quickly transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy, with 72 per cent of people globally in favour of a quick transition away from fossil fuels.
According to the International Energy Agency, 80 per cent of the global energy supply is generated from fossil fuels, with oil contributing the largest share (30 per cent), followed by coal (27 per cent) and natural gas (24 per cent). As of 2023, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from consumption of fossil fuels were led by coal (44 per cent), followed by oil (32 per cent) and natural gas (22 per cent).
When asked who has the biggest impact on climate change, most people picked the government (43 per cent) over other options in the survey such as big businesses (14 per cent), the United Nations (13 per cent), and campaigners and activists (12 per cent).
A vast majority of the people – 86 per cent – are in favour of countries working together against climate change even if they disagree on other issues such as trade or security.
In every country surveyed, most people support international collaboration. The lowest figure recorded is 77 per cent in Indonesia, Ghana and Romania, indicating a striking consensus of support for international cooperation on climate change.
“The Peoples’ Climate Vote is loud and clear. Global citizens want their leaders to transcend their differences, to act now and to act boldly to fight the climate crisis,” said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner.
“The survey results – unprecedented in their coverage – reveal a level of consensus that is truly astonishing. We urge leaders and policymakers to take note, especially as countries develop their next round of climate action pledges – or ‘nationally determined contributions’ under the Paris Agreement. This is an issue that almost everyone, everywhere, can agree on.”
The publication of the Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024 comes at a crucial time as leading scientific warn that climate change is accelerating faster than expected and the trend of global GHG emission levels continue to increase.
The survey’s results can help decision-makers navigate this challenging context and beyond, as governments update their climate action plans – Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
At the upcoming COP29 to be held in November 2024, governments will gather to discuss raising climate ambition, new climate finance commitments, and support needed to define and achieve updated NDCs. – Aqilah Rahman
