Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024 highlights global community’s strong opinion on climate change: Check out
More than 73,000 people speaking 87 different languages across 77 countries recently addressed 15 questions on climate change for the Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024 – conducted for the UN Development Programme, backed by the University of Oxford and GeoPoll.
It is the biggest-ever standalone public opinion survey on the climate crisis. 80% of the global community – or four out of five people – seek stronger climate action from their governments, and 86% seek their countries set aside geopolitical differences for the cause.
The Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024 is the second edition of the global survey. The first one took place in 2021 and surveyed people across 50 countries through adverts in mobile gaming apps. Questions and responses are not comparable across the 2 reports.
Call for stronger climate action in big carbon emitters
For the 2024 survey, the University of Oxford team processed data and produced the statistical output. International polling firm GeoPoll conducted the survey via randomised mobile telephone calling. Randomisation meant almost everyone carrying a phone could participate.
The poll revealed support for stronger climate action in 20 of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters across the globe – majorities ranging from 66% of people in the US and Russia, to 67% in Germany, 73% in China, 77% in India, 85% in Brazil, 88% in Iran and up to 93% in Italy.
In Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the US (five big emitters), female survey respondents were more in favour of bolstering their country’s commitments by 10 to 17 percentage points. The gap was biggest in Germany (75% in women vs 58% in men).
Fossil fuel phaseout and climate anxiety in focus
Besides a broad call for stronger climate action, the Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024 highlights support by a global majority of 72% in favour of a quick fossil fuel phaseout. This is true among the biggest producers of oil, coal or gas. Only 7% said their country should not transition at all.
The poll also brought climate anxiety into the limelight. People across the globe reported that climate change was on their minds. 56% said they had thoughts about it on a regular basis, including some 63% of those in Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
UNDP is fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality and climate change. Its Climate Promise initiative has seen over 100 developing countries submit enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are at the heart of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
