Most Britons Satisfied with Copenhagen Climate Change Accord
But majority regrets that the global agreement is not legally binding.
The Poll Archive RSS
(01/05/10) -
But majority regrets that the global agreement is not legally binding.
Over half of people in Britain are satisfied with the outcome of last month’s United Nations (UN) Climate Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample of 2,002 British adults, 50 per cent of respondents agree with the commitment to hold the rise in global temperatures below two degrees Celsius; 56 per cent welcome the idea to set up a fund to help developing nations adapt to the changes caused by global warming, and a large majority (72%) agrees with the promise to try to cut global greenhouse gas emissions by half below 1990 levels by 2020.
However, a large number of Britons (63%) were left dissatisfied with the fact that the Copenhagen Accord is not legally binding.
The Copenhagen Accord
Despite the high regard for the outcome of last month’s conference, Britons are not optimistic about the future. Over 40 per cent (43%) do not expect the Copenhagen agreement to become legally binding in the future, and 72 per cent think countries will not reach the goal of keeping temperatures from rising above two degrees Celsius.
Many Britons did not feel well represented at the conference. Only a third of respondents are satisfied with Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s performance in Copenhagen, while 45 per cent are dissatisfied with it.
Copenhagen and Climate Change: An Analysis
Respondents can be roughly divided into those who believe global warming is a fact and say it is caused by human activity (1); those who think global warming is a reality but is caused by natural changes (2), and those who think global warming is an unproven theory (3).
While those in the first group express a high degree of satisfaction with Prime Minster Brown’s performance at Copenhagen (42%), a majority of those in the second (50%) and third groups (59%) say they are dissatisfied with his actions.
Respondents in the first group are more dissatisfied with the fact that the Copenhagen Accord is not legally binding (72%) than those in the second (64%) and third (53%) groups. Most Britons in the first group (56%) are content with signatories agreeing to hold the increase in global temperatures below two degrees Celsius, but this is the case for fewer people in the second (49%) and third groups (42%).
Agreement with creating a fund to help poorer nations handle climate change is much higher amongst those in the first category (72%) than in the two following ones (47% and 41%, respectively). Support for aiming to curb global emissions by 2020 is also higher amongst those in the first group (83%), but is still very significant in the other two categories (over 62%).
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CONTACT:
Andy Morris, Research Director, London
+ 44-203-178-3952
andy.morris@angus-reid.com
