Most people believe climate change will prove a more important issue than Brexit in the long-term and think the government should be doing more to tackle the issue.
That is according to a new survey released today by Christian Aid, which commissioned ComRes to survey more than 2,000 UK adults earlier this month.
According to the poll, 71 per cent of people think climate change is more important than Brexit, 61 per cent do not think the government is treating it as a high enough priority, and two-thirds think it should a top priority for the new Prime Minister.
"I hope the Prime Minister will hear the challenge from the majority of the UK public to do more to tackle this climate emergency," said Laura Taylor, director of advocacy for Christian Aid. "We need a rapid and radical shift to reduce emissions in the UK and we need global action for climate justice in which the most vulnerable communities are supported to not only survive but to thrive."
Women in particular were more likely to agree climate change should be a top priority for the new premier, Christian Aid said, with 71 per cent of females agreeing with the statement compared to 62 per cent of males.
The charity also noted that even people in some areas that voted heavily to leave the EU, such as Wales and the East Midlands, were more likely than the average to say climate change is more important than Brexit in the long term.
The latest poll provides further evidence of the rising level of concern over the climate crisis that has been picked up by pollsters in recent months. A June survey by Opiniumsuggested seven in 10 Britons want to see more climate action, while a government survey in May revealed the proportion of the public "very concerned" about climate change has hit a record high.
In his first address to Parliament yesterday Prime Minister Boris Johnson once again signalled his support for the UK's net zero target, arguing that Britiain will "lead the world" in decarbonisation. But his critics point out that he is yet to set out a clear plan for how carbon reductions will be ramped up across heating, transport, and agriculture, to get the UK back on track to meeting its interim climate goals.
