As the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen gets under way, BBC Scotland's environment correspondent, David Miller, analyses the findings of an exclusive BBC Scotland poll on attitudes to climate change. The detailed survey showed a greater number of people in Scotland saw climate change as an "urgent" issue.
Key findings of BBC climate change poll
Almost 200 nations will be represented in
Copenhagen
. The next two weeks of negotiations will, inevitably, be hugely complicated and equally controversial, as governments from around the globe try to achieve the deal which suits them best. Many of the countries represented at the conference have set themselves ambitious climate change targets. But those targets can't be met unless individuals make changes to the way they lead their lives and work to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions.
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That's why public attitudes to climate change are every bit as important as headline-grabbing government initiatives and policies. The Scottish government is proud of its own climate change targets, but do the Scottish public see the issue as a priority? The findings of our Ipsos MORI opinion poll suggest they do. Mark Diffley, research director at Ipsos MORI Scotland, said: "Our poll, conducted on the eve of the Copenhagen summit, shows that the vast majority of Scots acknowledge climate change as a serious issue with around two-thirds viewing it as an immediate and urgent problem, while around one in 10 are unconvinced that it is happening." But do they believe humans are responsible for climate change? Again, it seems the answer is yes. Dire warnings Mr Diffley explained: "There is a consensus among the public that human activity is at least partly responsible for causing climate change with six in 10 Scots recognising their own lifestyle and behaviours as having an impact." Global warming is, of course, a hugely controversial subject and a significant minority remain sceptical about the science of climate change. In the face of dire warnings from governments, scientists and environmental campaigners, some Scots remain unconvinced. In some respects, these figures make the most interesting reading. A total of 11% said they still were not convinced that climate change was happening. When asked about the causes of climate change, 4% said humans were not at all responsible. A further 4% said there was no such thing as climate change.
David Miller: "Public attitudes are important"
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Why do these figures matter? They matter because many of the lifestyle changes which the Scottish and UK governments want us to make will be difficult, if not impossible, to sell to a sceptical public. Higher standards of home insulation equal lower emissions and fuel bills too. It's a win win situation and likely to prove popular with voters, regardless of their views on global warming. But even someone who fully accepts the science of climate change may decide to put the warnings of environmental chaos to the back of their mind when weighing up whether or not to jet off in search of some winter sunshine. These poll results may provide some encouragement for the Scottish government and environmental campaigners. But how do they compare with previous polls? They could be interpreted as showing there's been a rise in the number of Scots who believe tackling climate change is a priority. The message here, though, is tread carefully. Mr Diffley said: "There is some evidence that greater numbers of Scots are viewing climate change as an urgent issue although direct comparisons with a previous survey in 2008 have to be treated with some caution. "Despite this seemingly growing consensus, however, the public is split on whether measures to tackle climate change should take priority over the Scottish economy." • The Ipsos MORI surveyed 1,009 respondents by telephone between 19 November and 23 November 2009.
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