Recent data shows growing inaction towards acting on climate change by people in England and Wales over the last three years.
Climate crisis: less people making lifestyle changes
In three Office for National Statistics (ONS) surveys, the number of people who said they have made no lifestyle changes to help tackle climate change has increased from 19% in October 2021, to 23% in July 2022, to 28% in November 2023.
The surveys also asked respondents why they had not made any changes to their lifestyle, with the belief that their changes will have no effect becoming the most common reason, increasing from 32% to 41% between the second and third survey:
“You can read this data in two ways,” said Holly Brazier-Tope, head of politics at environmental think tank Green Alliance:
I feel like people will interpret it to imply apathy rather than what actually I think is much more helplessness.
I don’t think it is because people don’t care, I think it is because they cannot care. They are not in a situation economically to be able to contemplate these issues.
Between 2021 and 2022 the data shows a 9% increase in people saying that it is too expensive to make changes to help the climate, following the cost of living crisis beginning in mid-2021:
The cost-of-living crisis may have forced people to avoid climate-friendly lifestyle changes, which often come with a cost, with London Councils reporting that 73% of Londoners said the cost-of-living crisis has made it more difficult to take action on climate change.
Joan Williams, a mother of three children from London said:
These past few months have been really tough.
I used to buy these eco-friendly products, soaps and cloths for my youngest but over the last two years I have had to make some serious cut backs and just go for the cheapest now.
I still do try to keep the environment in mind because climate problems will affect my children even more than me, but right now I just cannot afford it.
Of those who did make changes, the biggest motivator was concern for future generations.
Cost of living crisis impacting action
As well as changes becoming less affordable, more immediate financial concerns may have taken priority over more long-term climate worries. The ONS found that between COP27 in 2022 and COP28 in 2023, less people had placed climate as one the most important issues facing the UK.
Meanwhile, “cost-of-living” was reported by nearly 89% of people.
“Given the economic situation in the country, the public at large have absolutely no choice but to view all policies through the cost-of-living”, said Brazier-Tope.
Apart from financial issues, Brazier-Tope claims that a failure by government to prioritise climate action has led to the public not taking personal actions.
She said:
The public is well aware that this is a pivotal decade for climate action. What they don’t have is bold and strong political leadership on climate.
We cannot ask the public to make changes when we’re not showing leadership ourselves.
As an example she cites the delay of measures to help the UK reach net zero, such as pushing the switch to heat pumps and electric vehicles to 2035.
She accuses the government of politicising climate issues: making choices on climate policy based on what is good for the Conservative Party rather than good for the environment, an argument echoed by the Institute for Government think tank.
The desire to be led by example on climate could be captured by 34% of respondents to the last two surveys, saying that they did not make changes because they believed that large polluters should change before individuals, making this the second most common reason given.
The government says…
A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero denied claims of weak leadership on climate, saying:
We are and will continue to be world leaders in net zero, having cut emissions faster than any other major country and set into law one of the most ambitious emissions targets in the world.
The spokesperson also added that the delays to climate objectives aimed to ease financial pressure on households, saying:
We understand the concerns households have in making the transition to net zero, and that’s why last year we announced a new proportionate and pragmatic approach that helps us meet our net zero targets, while not putting burdens onto hardworking families.
Featured image via biasciolialessandro – Envato Elements
