LONDON — A new poll indicates that a solid majority of British adults now accept that climate change is real and driven by human activity, a shift that has grown steadily over the past three years. The survey, conducted by research consultancy ComRes for the Energy and Climate Information Unit, polled 2,045 people and found that 64% of respondents agree that climate change is happening and is primarily due to human actions.
This marks a clear increase from 57% in 2014 and 59% in 2015, according to the study's summary. ComRes chairman Andrew Hawkins noted that the change in public sentiment is discernible, with seven in ten respondents also believing that most climate scientists share this view.
Concerns Over Wildlife and Flooding Drive Acceptance
The survey also probed public understanding of climate impacts. A large majority — 80% — expressed concern about harm to wildlife and nature, while 73% cited increased flooding as a key worry. These tangible effects appear to resonate more than abstract scientific arguments, according to the findings.
Marylyn Haines Evens, chairwoman of the public affairs committee of the National Federation of Women's Institutes, said that for long-time climate advocates, seeing the public recognize the weight of scientific evidence is encouraging. She described the trend as heartening for those who have worked on the issue for decades.
The British shift may foreshadow similar changes in the United States, where climate change has been a more polarizing topic. Bill Nye, the science educator known as the "Science Guy," told Scientific American that climate change lacks a single dramatic moment, but as environmental changes become more visible, more people will likely come around. He predicted that skeptics could change their views as innovation makes solutions more apparent.
The poll comes amid growing urgency, with 2016 having been recorded as the hottest year to date. Joanna Haigh, co-director of the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, said the climate system is sending increasingly urgent signals, and public understanding must now translate into action. She stressed that the means to avoid the worst impacts exist, and what is needed is the will to implement them.
While the survey focuses on British adults, its findings suggest that public acceptance of human-caused climate change is not static but can evolve with exposure to real-world effects and scientific consensus. The steady rise in acceptance over three years, as documented by ComRes, offers a data point for policymakers and advocates seeking to build broader support for climate action.
