Public perceptions on climate change in Northern Ireland 2012
August 2012

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January009

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Public perception on climate change in Northern Ireland 2012

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary

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Introduction

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Main findings Public opinion on the causes of climate change Concerns about climate change Climate change and lifestyle Combating climate change 11 12 15 17

Appendix A: 2012 survey questions

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Appendix B: Detailed tables

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Public perception on climate change in Northern Ireland 2012

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Public perception on climate change in Northern Ireland 2012

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Executive Summary
This is the second report, in an occasional series, which summarises people’s attitudes and perceptions towards climate change in Northern Ireland. The first report was published in September 2009, and this report provides an update based on a second survey that took place in January 2012. There has been a significant decrease in those who believed that human activity alone was the main cause of climate change, falling from 22% in 2009 to 17% in 2012. In 2012, 61% of respondents believed that the main cause of climate change was a combination of human activity and natural processes; 15% felt that natural processes alone was the main cause. Only three per cent of respondents did not believe in climate change.

Of those respondents who believed in climate change, 50% were concerned about the possible impacts for Northern Ireland. The level of concern about climate change has decreased since 2009, when 57% of respondents were concerned about the possible impacts of climate change for Northern Ireland. In 2012, more than a third of respondents (36%) agreed that changes to the climate had a direct impact on them

The main concerns for people about climate change include; increased energy costs, an increase in the number of severe weather events, increased flooding, damage to natural environment and wildlife, a more polluted atmosphere, and increased food costs.

Fifty-seven per cent of respondents believe that making changes to their lifestyle will help reduce climate change, and three-quarters of respondents would be prepared to make changes to their lifestyle. There were no significant changes to how prepared, or otherwise, people were to make changes to their lifestyles from 2009.

The most common actions that respondents have taken to combat climate change include; recycling as much as possible; switching off lights and having low energy light bulbs installed in their homes. Since 2009, there have been notable improvements in the number of respondents installing loft insulation; turning down their heating; growing some of their own food and making fewer car journeys to help combat climate change.

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Introduction
Background This report summarises people's attitudes towards climate change in Northern Ireland and highlights any significant change in attitudes in recent years. It covers the following issues - public opinion on the causes of climate change; public concerns about climate change; climate change and lifestyle and combating climate change. The key findings are based on the responses to a module on public perceptions to climate change in the January 2012 Northern Ireland Omnibus Survey, which have been compared with previous findings from the January 2009 Omnibus Survey. The Omnibus Survey is designed to provide a snapshot of the behaviour, lifestyle and views of a representative sample of people aged 16 and over in Northern Ireland.

The 2009 questionnaire was developed from a steering group of colleagues from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the Department of the Environment, the Northern Ireland Climate Change Impacts Partnership and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Some minor amendments were made to the 2012 questionnaire but for the most part the questionnaire was the same as the 2009 version, which allows for comparisons to be made between the two sets of responses. Contact Details This report has been prepared by Analytical Services Branch, Department of the Environment. In keeping with government policy, no hard copies of this report have been published, but are available on request. Requests or enquiries concerning this publication should be directed to: Analytical Services Branch Department of the Environment Clarence Court 10 -18 Adelaide Street Belfast BT2 8GB Email: asb@doeni.gov.uk Tel: 028 9054 0916

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User Information This section contains information about the data used in this report, including guidance to assist with interpretation. Main uses of data This survey on public perceptions to climate change allows the Department of the Environment to monitor the views of a representative sample of the people of Northern Ireland and the reports makes the data available for decision makers, environmental interest groups and the public. It is anticipated that the survey will be repeated on an ongoing basis so that public opinion on climate change can be monitored. Climate Northern Ireland will use the findings in order to widen the understanding and knowledge of climate change within Northern Ireland.

Data Collection This report outlines the main findings from the second climate change module of the January 2012 Omnibus Survey. Eleven questions were asked of the public to ascertain attitudes towards climate change examining the following issues - causes of climate change, concerns about climate change, climate change and lifestyle and combating climate change. The first module on attitudes to climate change was conducted in January 2009. The Omnibus Survey is carried out on a quarterly basis by Central Survey Unit of Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency. It is designed to provide a snapshot of the behaviour, lifestyle and views of a representative sample of the population aged 16 and over. Core questions are asked during each survey, including individual characteristics and circumstances such as gender and age, allowing analysis by a range of factors. The other questions are modules which are commissioned by clients, seeking information on specific issues, for example climate change.

The questions included in the January 2012 public perceptions on climate change module, of the Northern Ireland Omnibus survey, are included in Appendix A; with detailed tables available in Appendix B covering both January 2012 and January 2009 findings.

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Omnibus survey methodology The sample for the January 2012 survey consisted of a systematic random sample of addresses selected from the Land and Property Service list of private addresses. This is the most up-to-date listing of private households in Northern Ireland and is available to Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency for research purposes. At each address, one person aged 16 or over was randomly selected to participate in the survey. From an eligible sample of 1,935 households, 1,141 respondents participated giving a response rate of 59%. Interviews were conducted between 2nd January and 4th February 2012. Further information on the survey methodology can be found at: http://www.csu.nisra.gov.uk/survey.asp77.htm Interpretation of figures and tables Rounding of figures - in tables where figures have been rounded to the nearest final digit, percentages may not total to 100 per cent. Please note the following in the figures and tables: • • • • For figures less than 0.5, the value recorded is ‘0’ For figures with no response, a ‘-’ has been recorded. For options that were not available in the previous survey, ‘N/A’ has been recorded Percentages may not add to 100% due to multiple responses.

Multiple response questions - respondents can give more than one response to these types of questions if they wish and therefore if individual percentages are summed they may add to more than 100%. These types of questions have been highlighted with the footnote “Percentages may add to more than 100% due to multiple responses”.

In this publication any differences in the findings from the 2009 survey and 2012 survey which are reported are statistically significant. This means that there is at least a 95% probability that there is a genuine difference between results and the difference is not simply explained by random chance. Question 3 and questions 5 to 9 ask respondents to indicate to what extent they agree or disagree with certain statements. It has not been possible to directly compare results from these questions with the 2009 survey results as there was no option for ‘neither agree or disagree’ in the 2012 survey.

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Data quality assessment Very good – these data are sourced from the NI Omnibus Survey, run by the Central Survey Unit of Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency. The unit has a wealth of experience in the design, management and analysis of attitude surveys in the context of a wide range of social policy issues. Procedures followed are consistent with the Official Statistics Code of Practice http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-ofpractice/code-of-practice-for-official-statistics.pdf

Data quality assurance In keeping with the guidance on data quality provided by the National Statistician, Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency is confident that the collection methods employed in this survey, and the quality assurance processes subsequently conducted on the survey results, have produced statistics fit for purpose. Information on public attitudes to climate change elsewhere in the United Kingdom Links to the latest information on public attitudes to climate change and the environment can be found as detailed below: Great Britain / United Kingdom Environmental attitudes and behaviours: who cares about climate change? http://research.understandingsociety.org.uk/files/research/findings/earlyfindings/12%20Early%20findings%20Chapter%2012.pdf

DECC Public Attitudes Tracking Survey http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/public_att/public_att.aspx

Public Perceptions of Climate Change and Energy Futures in Britain http://www.ipsos-mori.com/Assets/Docs/Polls/climate-change-public-perceptions-ofclimate-change-report.pdf England Attitudes and Knowledge relating to Biodiversity & Natural Environment, 2007 – 2011: http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/files/Statistical-Release-13-April-2011-biodiversity1.pdf

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Public Attitudes and Behaviours towards the Environment, 2009: http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/files/report-attitudes-behaviours2009.pdf

Scotland Scottish Environmental Attitudes and Behaviours Survey, 2008: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Research/by-topic/environment/socialresearch/Environmental-Attitudes

Wales Sustainability Survey 2011, summary of main findings: http://wales.gov.uk/docs/desh/publications/120124climatesustainabilityen.pdf

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2. Main findings
2.1 Public opinion on the causes of climate change

17% of respondents believed that human activity alone was the main cause of climate change, falling from 22% in 2009. 61% of respondents believed that the main cause of climate change was a combination of human activity and natural processes and 15% of respondents felt that natural processes alone was the main cause of climate Only three per cent of respondents did not believe in climate change.

Respondents were first asked if they thought that the causes of climate change were from natural processes or human activity. Respondents were given the option to record that they did not believe in climate change, although this was a spontaneous option only. Respondents who did not believe in climate change were not asked any further questions. Figure 1 shows a breakdown of public opinion on the causes of climate change.

61% of respondents believed that the main cause of climate change was a combination of human activity and natural processes; while 15% of respondents felt that natural processes alone was the main cause of climate change and 17% thought that human activity was solely responsible for climate change. A small number of respondents did not believe in climate change (3%). In comparison the latest 2012 UK figures 1 reported that 42% of the population felt that climate change was due to a combination of human activity and natural processes, with 29% thinking it was mainly due to human activity and 9% thinking human activity was entirely responsible. A similar GB study conducted in 2010 2 reported that 47% of respondents felt that climate change was due to a combination of human activity and natural processes, with 24% thinking it was mainly due to human activity and 7% thinking that human activity was entirely responsible. Whilst the question wording differs somewhat in the UK/GB studies, and this will inevitably impact to some extent on comparability, it does suggest some potentially interesting differences in beliefs between NI and UK/GB respondents with regard to the causes of climate change.

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DECC Public Attitudes Tracking Survey, July 2012 Public Perceptions of Climate Change and Energy Futures in Britain, 2010

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In Northern Ireland 78% of respondents believe that human activity either contributed to, or is solely responsible for, climate change. However there were differences in respondents’ views on this dependent on age; respondents under 65 were more likely to believe that human activity, either on its own or together with natural processes, caused climate change compared to respondents aged 65 and over (81% and 63% respectively).

There has been a significant decrease in those who believed that human activity alone was the main cause of climate change, falling from 22% in 2009 to 17% in 2012. However the percentage of respondents who felt that the main cause of climate change was a combination of human activity and natural processes has seen no significant change since 2009.

Figure 1: Public opinion on the causes of climate change
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