Consumers worldwide want governments to lead climate change response

Consumers in both developed and emerging economies want to see governments – and by extension, businesses – end the deadlock of climate change negotiations and sign up to carbon emission reduction targets, according to a global survey of 12,000 people.

Carried out by a coalition of NGOs brought together by HSBC, the survey polled 1,000 people in 12 of the world's most polluting nations – Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Mexico, UK and the US – all of which will be key players at the forthcoming UN climate change talks in Poznan, Poland.

More than three quarters of respondents said they want their government to agree to cut carbon emissions, either to the same level as all other countries or to a level below that of other countries so that developing nations can continue to grow their emissions.

Meanwhile, 43 per cent said that climate change was a bigger concern for them than the state of the global economy, despite the poll being undertaken in the immediate aftermath of this summer's financial meltdown.

Significantly, a sizable majority of respondents in both the US and China – two countries that in the past have resisted calls for binding emission cuts – said their governments should agree to cut emissions by at least as much as other countries.

In addition, only four per cent of respondents in emerging economies said their emissions should be allowed to increase to help drive economic growth, despite this being the position adopted by many of their governments.

Lord Nicholas Stern, author of the influential Stern Review and adviser to HSBC on economic development and climate change, said the research provides evidence that there is popular appetite for "decisive action on climate change" .

"The urgent challenge is to build a framework for a global deal so that consensus can be reached in Copenhagen next year and the discussions in Poznan are a critical stepping stone to achieving this," he said. "Now is the time to lay the foundations of a new form of growth that can transform our economies and societies."

The survey also suggests that consumers are looking to governments and businesses to orchestrate a macro-level response to climate change based on the adoption of low carbon policies, infrastructure and technologies, rather than rely on individual behaviour change.

In fact, the number of people willing to spend extra money themselves to help tackle climate change fell 29 per cent on a year ago, while the number prepared to make changes to their lifestyle similarly fell 19 per cent.

Dr Steve Howard, chief executive of The Climate Group, one of the NGOs that worked with HSBC on the research, said that the findings highlighted the need for government's to take a lead to help drive the development of low carbon economies.

"We believe that businesses can help deliver the low carbon economy that we need, but only with the right government support," he said. "The world is at a crossroads where its leaders – if they act now – are still able to choose a clean green future."