Report · Jan 14, 2025
Climate Change in the British Mind
By Anthony Leiserowitz, Jennifer Carman, Emily Goddard, Marija Verner, Seth Rosenthal and Jennifer Marlon
Filed under: Beliefs & Attitudes, Climate Impacts and Audiences
4. Impacts of Climate Change
4.1 About two-thirds of people in the UK have experienced at least one environmental problem in the past 12 months. The specific events varied.
About two-thirds of people in the UK (68%) say their local area has experienced at least one environmental problem in the past 12 months, but the specific events varied.Note: Respondents answered these questions before they were asked any questions about climate change in the survey. This included people who said their local area had experienced severe storms (34%), flooding (32%), air pollution (31%), or water pollution (29%) in the past year. Fewer people said their area had experienced extreme heat (16%), agricultural pests and diseases (9%), rising sea levels (8%), water shortages (6%), droughts (4%), or wildfires (3%) in the past 12 months.
4.2 A majority of people in the UK are worried about harm from environmental problems in their local area.
Majorities of people in the UK are “very” or “moderately worried” that water pollution (57%), severe storms (54%), and air pollution (53%) might harm their local area, and nearly half are worried about flooding (49%). Note: Respondents answered these questions before they were asked any questions about climate change in the survey. About one-third are worried about extreme heat (36%), water shortages (36%), or agricultural pests and diseases (31%). About one in four are worried that droughts (28%) or rising sea levels (27%) might harm their local area, while fewer are worried about wildfires (16%).
4.3 A majority of people in the UK think climate change is affecting environmental problems in the United Kingdom.
Most people in the UK think climate change is affecting many environmental problems in the United Kingdom at least “a little.” About eight in ten or more think climate change is affecting flooding (88%), severe storms (85%), and rising sea levels (80%). Seven in ten or more think climate change is affecting air pollution (79%), extreme heat (79%), water pollution (74%), water shortages (73%), and droughts (71%), while more than six in ten think climate change is affecting agricultural pests and diseases (65%) and wildfires (62%).
1. Note: Respondents answered these questions before they were asked any questions about climate change in the survey.