Three in four say climate ‘tipping points’ very close: Global poll

This article is more than 12 months old

Aug 18, 2021 06:00 am

PARIS: Some 73 per cent of people now believe that Earth's climate is approaching abrupt and irreversible "tipping points" due to human activity, according to a global opinion poll released yesterday.

The online poll of almost 20,000 people aged 16 to 75, living in G20 nations, was conducted in April and May by Ipsos MORI and commissioned by the Global Commons Alliance, a network of more than 70 international groups working on sustainability.

A United Nations climate science panel last week warned that the average global temperature will likely cross the 1.5 deg C warming threshold within the next 20 years, bringing stronger droughts, heatwaves, floods and storms.

The survey by Global Commons Alliance and Ipsos MORI found four out of five respondents wanted to do more to protect the planet.

"People know we are taking colossal risks, they want to do more and they want their governments to do more," said lead author Owen Gaffney of a report based on the poll's findings. - AFP, REUTERS