While it is true that 59% of respondents say they are very or extremely worried about the state of nature today (a figure up on the 2021 Global Commons Survey), 69% believe that the planet is approaching a tipping point for the climate and nature. The responsibility, by unanimous opinion, lies first and foremost with human activity.
Interesting, and in some ways illuminating, is the way the survey divides respondents according to their attitudes.
In essence, five “planetary stewardship audience segments” emerge, that is, five categories into which opinions can be grouped. Let’s take a look.
Planetary Stewards: These are people driven by a strong sense of urgency and responsibility towards the environment, who support systemic change to tackle environmental challenges. 97% of them say that immediate action is needed to address climate change. All of them believe in the close connection between human and planetary health and tend to show strong support for legal measures to protect the environment.
Concerned Optimists: These are people who show concern for the environment, but also optimism for the future. In favour of immediate environmental action, they are confident that tackling climate change can bring widespread benefits to the population of their country. In this, as mentioned, they express a certain optimism for the future.
Steady Progressives: Pragmatic and moderate, Steady Progressives say they seek balanced solutions to environmental problems. While they recognise the need for urgent action, they stress the need for gradual reforms within existing systems.
Climate Sceptics: They reject concerns about the climate and the environment outright. Consequently, they declare themselves opposed to policies that address climate change. For them the priority is individual freedom: any government intervention must be as limited as possible. In general, they do not believe that immediate environmental action is necessary, nor that the Earth is close to an environmental tipping point because of human activity.
The Unengaged: They say they have no interest in environmental and political issues, still less any desire to get involved in this kind of cause. Indifferent to environmental problems, they are less inclined, compared with the average of G20 populations, to support significant changes in political and economic systems.
Let’s look at the proportions between the groups.
Planetary Stewards, Concerned Optimists and Steady Progressives represent the majority (61%) of respondents. This is a significant figure: it means that more people are worried and want to act to protect the planet than those who are not.
Among the G20 countries surveyed, Planetary Stewards make up the largest groups in Turkey (28%), France (27%, the largest group together with Steady Progressives), Brazil (26%) and Mexico (26%, the largest group together with Steady Progressives).
Note: the largest groups of the unengaged are found in Germany, Italy, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
In Italy, for example, 45% of respondents do NOT agree that the costs of the damage caused by environmental pollution are much higher than those of investing in the green transition. Meanwhile, 67% do NOT approve of the idea of treating and punishing as criminal offences** actions against the environment committed by private or public parties.
Finally, according to the survey results, only 13% of people across all G20 countries fall into the climate sceptics group.
Let’s turn to gender differences in attention to the environment.
According to the survey, women show higher levels of concern than men about the state of nature, especially for future generations. 62% of them are extremely or very worried about the state of nature today, compared with 56% of men.
74% of women say they believe that major action must be taken immediately to tackle environmental problems within the next decade, compared with 68% of men.
Women are also much less likely to believe that technology alone can solve environmental problems, without individuals having to make major lifestyle changes (35% compared with 44% of men).
Differences between individual countries.
This is perhaps the most surprising finding. Despite a certain “narrative”, which would have the populations of emerging countries less involved in environmental sensitivity, the survey shows that citizens of India with 87%, China with 79%, Indonesia with 79%, Kenya with 73% and Turkey with 69% feel more exposed to climate change than those in Europe and the United States.
The survey’s promoters, commenting on the data, stressed that “the idea of planetary stewardship is stronger in emerging economies such as Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and Kenya”.
The G20 countries alone account for about 85% of world GDP, produce about 78% of greenhouse gas emissions, hold a 75% share of global trade and make up about two thirds of the world’s population.
To explore the survey data concerning Italy in more depth, click here:
