Tuesday, November 12, 2024

New research shows that UK public think urgent action on climate crisis needed

Yesterday
Left Foot Forward

People think drastic action is needed now


New polling has revealed that the British public think that urgent, immediate action is needed to address the climate crisis.

YouGov has polled the public on attitudes to the climate crisis as the COP29 climate negotiations are taking place in Azerbaijan.

The polling firm asked whether it is too late to avoid the worst effects of climate change. The public appear to be more pessimistic about the world’s prospects in this regard than they were when YouGov asked the same question in 2019. Now, 17 per cent of the public say it is too late (up six points on 2019).

However, the poll also found that the overwhelming majority of the public do think the worst effects of climate change can be averted (68 per cent). Of these, the bulk believe that more drastic action is needed.

Just 11 per cent of people think that the current approach taken on climate will be sufficient. By contrast, 57 per cent think drastic changes are needed now.

This suggests there would be broad public support for more radical action in the UK to address the climate crisis.

Despite this, the polling revealed more nuanced attitudes among the public. Just 34 per cent think that the government should increase spending on addressing the climate crisis if it were to lead to reducing spending in other areas. That’s compared to 39 per cent who say there are more urgent priorities than climate change and we need to focus on these areas above spending on climate change.

Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward



REVEALED: What the public think of trickle-down economics


Many on the right have long-argued for tax cuts for the wealthy in the belief that it would somehow lead to more wealth creation




Trickle-down economics. It’s a theory that has been widely contested over the years, with the right continuing to insist that cutting taxes and regulations for the wealthy works to benefit those at the bottom. Now the public have given their verdict.

A new poll for YouGov finds that voters believe trickle-down economics does not work. The poll asked, ‘Do you think that reducing taxes and regulations for businesses and the wealthy does or does not benefit the wider economy and general population?’

47% of those asked said that reducing taxes and regulations on the wealthy does not benefit the wider economy, while just 24% said that it does.

Many on the right, including the likes of Liz Truss, have long-argued for tax cuts for the wealthy in the belief that it would somehow lead to more wealth creation which would trickle down to the rest of society.

We’re yet to see any evidence of it working.

In the U.S., Donald Trump is widely expected to bring in tax cuts for the wealthy as his way of attempting to boost the economy, despite the theory widely being discredited.

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

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