Poll: Public Wants Governments to Act on Climate Change

Friday, 18 September 2009 05:17

Over sixty percent of people around the world believe combating climate change will be good for the economy.
And even if the economy is harmed, a similar number of people believe governments should act anyway to address climate change.

These are among the findings of a poll by international polling firm GlobeScan, which surveyed 20,000 people from 19 countries in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, North America and Latin America. GlobeScan and its research partners conducted the poll between June and August 2009.

The findings come some 80 days before the crucial United Nations climate convention meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark where governments are scheduled to ink a new, forward-looking climate agreement.
Citizens are also sending a strong call to the G20 group of nations meeting in Pittsburgh and world leaders meeting on climate change in New York next week at the invitation of Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary-General.

Doug Miller, Chairman of GlobeScan said, "Citizens across the world believe climate action is vital and has to be a priority - but also that it can go hand-in-hand with economic recovery."

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), added on being presented with the findings, "The best science and the best economics have been telling governments for some time that fast and decisive action is needed on climate change. Now leaders know that if they seal a good and transformative deal in Copenhagen, they will also have the majority of public opinion on their side too."

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Source: UNEP