Climate change - public engagement: survey results 2022

Results of a representative survey of the Scottish public, focused on attitudes and engagement with climate change. The results will act as a baseline for the Public Engagement Strategy for Climate Change.


2. Understanding

2.1 Concern about climate change

The Scottish public are most likely to rank the economy (24%) and health and social care (24%) as the policy issues that are most important to them, but climate change ranks third – selected as the top issue by 15% of the population (Figure 1). The mean ranking for climate change was 5.4 – around the midpoint in terms of important policy areas.

Figure 1: Please rank the following policy areas in terms of their importance to you (percentage ranking issue first).
Bar chart which ranks policy areas by their importance to the public, with climate change third after the economy and health and social care.

Unweighted bases (1782), ranked response question, 4% of respondents answered 'don't know'

2.2 Knowledge about climate change

Over half (58%) of the Scottish public state that they know at least "a fair amount" about climate change, however only around one in ten (12%) are confident enough to say that they know "a lot" about it. Just 4% say they don't know anything about it. (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Overall, how much would you say you know about the topic of climate change?
Bar chart showing how much the public report knowing about climate change, with most knowing 'a fair amount' or 'a little bit'.

Unweighted bases (1782), single response question

Respondents aged 18-34 are significantly more likely than older respondents to say that they know a lot or a fair amount about climate. Those aged 14-17, however, are more in line with the Scottish average. (Table 1).

Table 1: Overall, how much would you say you know about the topic of climate change? – by age group (know a lot + know a fair amount)
  Total 14-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Know a lot / Know a fair amount 58% 59% 68% 65% 58% 56% 53% 53%

Note: All statistically significant changes from the total are highlighted. Green highlights denote data significantly higher than total. Blue highlights denote data significantly lower than total.

2.3 Exposure to information about climate change

The Scottish public are most likely to recall seeing information about climate change on the television, with over half (56%) doing so at least once a week. A similar proportion say they read about it on news websites (52%), while just under half see something about it on social media (47%) at least once a week (Figure 3).

Figure 3: In general, how often do you see or hear information about climate change from each of the following sources/ channels?
Stacked bar chart showing how often people see information about climate change from the television, news websites, social media, the radio, printed media, specialist websites, and elsewhere.

Unweighted bases (1782), single response per source

For those sources where fewer have seen or heard stories about climate change, this is not necessarily a result of coverage of the topic being scarce on these platforms, but because respondents are more likely to say they just do not use this source. For example, respondents are less likely to see something about climate change in newspapers and magazines or on specialist websites mainly because they do not use them (36% and 43% respectively).[5]

Different demographic groups are likely to receive information about climate change from different sources (Table 2). For example, older age groups are more likely to report receiving information on the television on climate change than the general population. Similarly, younger groups are more likely to get this from social media than the total population.

Men are more likely than women to get information through both news and specialist websites, as well as through newspapers.

Table 2: Social media and TV as sources of information on climate change at least once a week, by age group
Source Total 14-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
TV 56% 41% 41% 54% 52% 57% 62% 64%
Social media 47% 60% 66% 64% 55% 45% 40% 23%

Note: All statistically significant changes from the total are highlighted. Green highlights denote data significantly higher than total. Blue highlights denote data significantly lower than total.

2.4 Trusted sources of information on climate change

Regardless of where they currently see or hear information, when thinking about who they trust to give them information or advice on climate change, the Scottish public are most likely to say universities or research organisations (58%). Approximately half (48%) say they would trust the Scottish Government to give them information or advice on climate change. The public are least likely to trust celebrities or influencers (4%) and businesses or private companies (7%) to give them information or advice on climate change. (Figure 4).

Almost half (47%) of those who are currently in education say they trust their teachers or lecturers to provide information or advice. Those in employment are unlikely to trust their colleagues, with only 14% saying they do.

Figure 4: Which of the following groups would you trust to give you information or advice about climate change?
Bar chart showing who the public trust to give them information or advice on climate change, with universities or research organisations most trusted.

Unweighted bases (1782), multi response question

*only those in education (106), **only those in employment (953)

When looking at which sources are most trusted by different age groups (Table 3), Scottish people aged 18-24 and 25-34 years old are more likely than average to trust information about climate change from friends and family (29%, 27%), social media (28%, 19%), or celebrities or influencers (9%, 7%). 25-34 year olds are also more likely to trust the Scottish Government (56%).

35-44 year-olds are more likely to trust information from their local authority (36%).

Meanwhile, those aged over 65 are significantly more likely than average to say they trust universities and research organisations (65%).

55-64 year-olds and those aged 65 and above are also more likely to say they do not trust any climate change information (12%, 14%) regardless of the source.

Table 3: Groups trusted to give you information or advice about climate change, by age group
Source Total 14-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Government
The Scottish Government 48% 53% 51% 56% 51% 47% 44% 43%
Your local authority/ council 29% 35% 31% 34% 36% 25% 27% 25%
Personal network
Your friends and family 22% 48% 29% 27% 24% 18% 15% 15%
Media channels
Social media 13% 27% 28% 19% 14% 10% 5% 5%
Celebrities/ influencers 4% 13% 9% 7% 3% 2% 0% 3%
Other organisations
Universities or research organisations 58% 54% 52% 55% 56% 62% 56% 65%
Businesses/private companies 7% 8% 11% 11% 7% 8% 6% 4%
None
None. I do not trust any climate change information or advice 8% 2% 3% 4% 8% 6% 12% 14%

Note: All statistically significant changes from the total are highlighted. Green highlights denote data significantly higher than total. Blue highlights denote data significantly lower than total.

Further analysis of those who trust the Scottish Government on climate change, shows greater levels of trust amongst minority ethnic groups (58%), those interested in getting involved in activities to combat climate change (58%), those who live in Glasgow (55%), those in employment (52%), and those educated to at least degree level (52%). There are no significant differences between demographic groups with respect to trust in local authorities.

2.5 Knowledge of net zero

When presented with the term "net zero emissions", just under a third (30%) of the Scottish public say that they feel confident that they know what it means (Figure 5). Almost half (48%) say they think they know what it means but are not very confident that they know what it means. Men are more likely than women to say they feel confident that they know what it means (38% vs. 23%). Those educated to at least degree level (35%) are more likely to say they feel confident they know what it means than those with no qualifications/an unspecified qualification (19%).

Only a tiny proportion (3%) of the Scottish public had not heard the term prior to taking the survey.

Figure 5: Which of the following statements best reflects your knowledge of the term "net zero emissions"?
Stacked bar chart showing to what extent the public report understanding the term 'net zero emissions'. Also, broken down by sex and qualification level.

Unweighted bases (1782), single response question

Note: Arrows signify data that is significantly higher than total to a confidence of 95%.

Respondents who said they felt confident they understood what net zero means, or who know what it means but are not very confident, were then asked which year is Scotland's target year for reaching net zero emissions. Only 7% selected the correct year, 2045 (Figure 6), while 79% of the Scottish public think that the target is before 2045 and 9% think it is after. Those aged 25-34 are more likely to believe Scotland's target for reaching net zero emissions is before 2045 (Table 4).

Figure 6: In which of the following years does Scotland's target for reaching net zero emissions fall within?
Stacked bar chart showing which year the public think Scotland's net zero emissions target year is.

Unweighted bases, those with some prior knowledge of net zero (1361), single response question

Note: Arrows signify data that is significantly higher than total to a confidence of 95%.

Table 4: Respondents saying Scotland's target for reaching net zero emissions before 2045, by age group
  14-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Before 2045 83% 76% 89% 78% 81% 79% 75%

Note: All statistically significant changes from the total are highlighted. Green highlights denote data significantly higher than total.

2.6 Awareness of netzeronation.scot

A third (34%) of the Scottish public have at least heard of the website netzeronation.scot, but only 7% say they have used it (Figure 7). 18-24-year-olds are most likely to have heard of the website but not used it (43%), while 25-34-year-olds are most likely to have used the website (16%). In general, younger adults are more likely than older people to have heard of or used the website. However, 14–17-year-olds are less likely to have done so than the two age cohorts immediately above them (18-24, 25-34).

Figure 7: Have you ever used https://www.netzeronation.scot to find information about climate change?
Stacked bar chart showing the proportion of the public who have used or heard of the netzeronation.scot website. Also broken down by age.

Unweighted bases (1782), single response question

Note: Arrows signify data that is significantly higher than total to a confidence of 95%.

2.7 Knowledge of Scottish Government climate policies

Respondents were presented with a selection of Scottish Government policies and targets designed to help tackle climate change and asked if they had previously heard of them. Awareness of the policies and targets listed varied (Figure 8). The policy with greatest level of awareness was the Scottish Government's target to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, which more than three-quarters (76%) of the Scottish public say they know at least a little bit about. There is lowest levels of awareness of the policy to reduce car kilometers driven by 20% by 2030 (37% reported knowing at least a little bit about this).

Across all the policies tested, only a small proportion stated that they know a lot about them. Around one in five (21%) say they know a lot about phasing out of the need for new petrol or diesel cars by 2030, but for all other policies, this was around one in 10 or fewer.

Figure 8: Had you heard of the following Scottish Government policies or targets before today?
Stacked bar chart showing the extent to which the public know about five different Scottish Government policies or targets for climate change.

Unweighted bases (1782), single response question

2.8 Knowledge of sources of Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions

When asked what percentage of Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions are produced by a range of different sources, on average, the Scottish public tend to select industry (20%) and transport (18%) as contributing the most and forestry as producing the lowest proportion of emissions (8%) (Figure 9). Those who only know a little about climate change ascribe a slightly higher proportion to transport, closer to its actual value, than those who say they know a lot about it (19% vs. 17%). In contrast, those who know a lot about it ascribe a higher proportion to agriculture, closer to its actual value, than those who know a little (15% vs. 13%).

When compared to the Scottish Government's latest official Greenhouse Gas statistics (2019[6]), on average, respondents substantially overestimated the greenhouse gas emissions emitted by power stations and waste management, and substantially underestimated the emissions contributions of transport and buildings. There is little variation by those who claim to know a lot and those who claim to know a little about climate change, and the actual figure of source emissions.

Figure 9: Of the following sources, approximately what proportion based on the latest data (2019), of Scotland's total annual greenhouse gas emissions do you think is produced by each? (Average percentage value ascribed) (16+ only)
Bar chart showing how responsible the public think each of the following seven sectors are for Scotland's emissions: transport, industry, buildings, agriculture, forestry, power stations, waste management.

Unweighted bases (1623), single response per row question. Actual percentage sourced from Scottish Government: Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics: 1990-2019

Contact

Email: ClimateChangeEngagement@gov.scot

Back to top