Public Perceptions of Climate Change and ... - Cardiff University

Results
Public Perceptions of Climate Change
Table 1 shows public perceptions of the reality of climate change in Britain and Japan
respectively. In 2005 an overwhelming majority (91%) of the British public thought that the
world’s climate is changing. This majority dropped significantly to 78% in 2010. At the same
time, the group of individuals who expressed trend sceptical views, i.e. those who do not
think that the world’s climate is changing, grew from 4% in 2005 to 15% in 2010 (Poortinga
et al., 2011).
No major differences were found in japan between 2007 and 2011. In 2007 an overwhelming
majority (95%) of the Japanese public thought that the world’s climate is changing, with only
very few (3%) thinking it was not. A similar pattern was found when the survey was repeated
in 2011: while 92% thought that the world’s climate is changing, 5% thought it is not.
Table 1. As far as you know, do you personally think that the world’s climate is
changing (in %).
Yes No Don’t Know
Great Britain 2010 (n=1,822) 78 15 6
2005 (n=1,491) 91 4 5
Japan 2011 (n=1,339) 92 5 3
2007 (n=911) 95 3 2
Note: The percentages in the table may not always add up to 100% due to rounding.
These results show that, while trend scepticism has gained some ground in Britain, it is still
virtually non-existent in Japan. It is however important to note that, despite the increase,
trend scepticism still not very common in Britain either. Furthermore there are indications
that the observed drop in public belief in climate change in 2010 is due to a unique
convergence of circumstances, including ‘climategate’ and the economic downturn. The
most recent evidence suggests that the decline in public belief in climate change has been
temporary, and may be returning to higher levels of concern. Given that the economic
downturn is still ongoing, it may take some time before concerns reach pre-crisis levels
(Whitmarsh et al., under review).
10