How public concern over climate change has surged

UK voters rank the environment as the second most important issue facing the country, behind Covid-19.

Climate change and the environment is now a more important issue for voters than the economy, according to a long-running Ipsos Mori survey.

The environment is now a more important issue for voters than the economy
 Share of Ipsos Mori survey respondants saying "Pollution/Environment/Climate change" is a major issue facing Britain today
  <script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data&amp;#91;"datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data&amp;#91;"datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r&lt;t.length;r++){if(t&amp;#91;r].contentWindow===e.source)t&amp;#91;r].style.height=e.data&amp;#91;"datawrapper-height"]&amp;#91;a]+"px"}}}))}();
</script><div class="source-text">Survey is based on a representative sample of around 1,000 UK adults, interviewed every month.
 </div></div></code></pre>



<p>In the poll, carried out in August, 32 per cent of respondents described the environment as a major issue, compared with 28 per cent in the case of the economy. Only the Covid-19 pandemic, which 40 per cent cited, was rated more important. </p><div class="stream-item ad stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post ad ">                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <div id="outstream">
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<p>The share of votes is the second-highest level of concern ever recorded for the issue in the Ipsos Mori survey. Only in July 1989, when the highest UK temperature since 1976 was recorded at Heathrow, was the environment ranked higher. </p>



<p>Mike Clemence, a researcher behind the survey, said the result can be attributed to the “publication of <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/environment/2021/08/dangerous-climate-change-has-arrived-ipcc-report-warning-world-ahead">the new IPCC report</a> and reports of fires and flooding around the world”.</p><div class="stream-item ad stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post ad ">                                                                                                <!-- MPU 2: additional MPU (desktop-only via size mapping) -->
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                        Nick Ferris is a data journalist at New Statesman Media Group.