Exploring public opinion on the issue of climate change in Britain

Addressing the effects of climate change constitutes a complex and pressing public policy challenge requiring action at the national and international levels. Securing public support for initiatives in this area is an important aim for policymakers and civil society actors concerned with the environment and sustainability. Although opinion polls and surveys consistently show proportions of the British population with sceptical views, little scholarly investigation has been undertaken into public opinion on climate change in Britain. This research note examines which factors affect citizens' awareness of and attitudes towards climate change. It undertakes multivariate analysis of nationally representative surveys to examine the social and attitudinal correlates of climate change attitudes. Accounting for sociological background, both political-ideological attitudes and general environmental orientations have strong effects. There is a clear gap in attitudes between men and women and strong evidence of differences by level of education. Climate change scepticism is associated with factors such as being male, less well educated, supporting the Conservatives and having right-wing ideological beliefs. The findings should encourage future research on the issue of climate change in British politics. British Politics (2012) 7, 183-202. doi:10.1057/bp.2012.1; published online 12 March 2012