GlobeScan’s exploration of public attitudes around the transition to a low-carbon future comes at a time of growing backlash against green policies and ahead of an estimated 2 billion people going to the polls in a historic election year. Based on a largely representative online survey of nearly 30,000 people across 31 countries and territories, Radar draws upon GlobeScan’s unique database of over two decades of polling public opinion about people’s outlook toward societal actors and the issues affecting them.
The public opinion research from GlobeScan finds that as they increasingly experience negative environmental impacts personally, most people around the world recognize the need to transition to a green economy; that is, shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Strong majorities across all countries and regions surveyed say that shifting to a green economy is at least somewhat needed: 94 percent believe this transition is needed compared to 6 percent who feel the opposite. The strongest resistance to this energy transition comes from developed countries, including the USA (19%), Australia (17%), the Netherlands (13%), Germany (12%), and France (10%).
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Q. In the past few years, some societies have begun shifting from fossil-based energy (e.g., oil, gas, coal) to renewable sources of energy (e.g., wind, water, solar) to address climate change. This is often called the transition to the green economy. How much would you say the shift to the green economy is needed?
Source: GlobeScan Radar Trends Report (survey of 29,565 people in the general public across 31 countries and territories in July ‒ August 2023)
