Nearly 40 percent of respondents said government policies to reduce carbon emissions would have a "positive impact" in the long term, with only 14 percent saying such policies would improve things in the short-run.
Some 90 percent of the total respondents said they believe the climate is changing, with the remainder saying is not, or they did not know.
When asked, however, if they were confident their governments were "prepared to take the necessary action to stop climate change," two-thirds of respondents who do believe the climate is changing said "no" in European countries. In the United States it was 40 percent.
"Politicians aren't necessarily keeping up," said Amiera Sawas, director of programmes and research at Climate Outreach in Britain, who works with survey data.
By a wide margin, the number one reason given for taking action on climate change was to protect future generations, with between 40 and 50 percent giving that as a motive.
Protecting habitats and species from further damage was the second most common answer.
Following on the heels of COP27, a UN biodiversity summit tasked with laying down new targets for protecting nature will convene in Canada in early December.
Source: AFP
