The 89 Percent Project is a welcome initiative to promote one simple fact that’s often denied – most people around the world support action on the climate crisis.
As noted in our recent review of Mike Berners-Lee’s A Climate of Truth, research consistently shows that most people are willing to take action on climate, but often don’t realise that they’re in the majority. That sense of isolation feeds inertia.
The 89 Percent Project is a year-long reporting project led by the Covering Climate Now network, and backed by the Guardian, Agence France-Presse and other news organisations. It builds on a global survey in 125 countries which found that 89% of people want more to be done on climate action, but most mistakenly believe that they’re in a minority.
Contrary to the claims that climate action is a rich-world obsession, people in wealthier countries are actually less likely to want action. In part, that’s because they’re better insulated from the effects of climate breakdown.
I suspect it’s also linked to the growth in science-denying right-wing populists who have politicised the climate crisis as part of their “culture war”, typically with funding from fossil fuel interests. Desmog has some enlightening research on that topic.
Even in the US, 74% of those surveyed want action, though less than half were willing to contribute even 1% of their income. In China, by contrast 97% want action and 80% would contribute financially.
In all countries, the proportion of people wanting action was above their average estimate of the number of fellow citizens who felt likewise.
Other research has shown that politicians also under-estimate voters’ support for climate action. Even a majority of Reform voters think the government should care about climate change.
See Damien Carrington’s article in the Guardian for more findings and commentary.
Business leaders also have an important role to play. According to another new international survey by E3G, 97% of senior executives at large and mid-sized companies support the global transition away from fossil fuels. More than half would relocate operations if national governments don’t take action.
Effective climate action needs popular support, which it has. It also needs real leadership from politicians, businesses of all sizes, and other groups. We have the will and the tools to mitigate catastrophe – but we all need to be clear in our message.