Global Challenges Foundation Risk Survey: The Pulse of International Sentiment

STOCKHOLM, September 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Concerns about climate change, its long-term effects and political counteractive measures are among the key issues addressed by respondents to a Global Challenges Foundation survey to understand public views on climate change, poverty and armed conflicts. U.S. respondents joined those of eight other participating countries, coming to a consensus that climate change is a threat to mankind and both political and personal actions to counteract its effects are necessary.

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In today's release, the Global Challenges Foundation provides a comparative, international lens on public views on climate change among nine countries: the United States, Brazil, China, Russia, Poland, Germany, India, South Africa and Sweden. Commissioned in February 2014, more than 1,000 online surveys were conducted in each country. Of respondents in the U.S., 42% definitively believe that climate change is a severe threat to mankind, with 66% attributing human activity primarily in the form of greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation as the main reason for global warming.

"This survey was commissioned by the Global Challenges Foundation to provide insights on a global scale of how the public views changes in our environment and what solutions may be necessary to address them," said Johan Rockström, Professor in Environmental Science and board member of the foundation. "The results of this survey provide a surprisingly strong signal to world leaders that they have a mandate from citizens across the world to act, and furthermore that there is a willingness among individuals to make considerable personal sacrifices today, in order to avoid future climate catastrophes."

More highlights:

• Climate change is a severe threat to mankind. 42% of U.S. respondents definitely believe that climate change is a severe threat to mankind, with an additional 36% categorizing climate change as a possible severe threat. 66% of U.S. respondents mark human activity primarily in the form of greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation as the main reason for global warming, with 18% of all respondents believing natural variations not affected by human beings to be the primary cause.
  
• Not enough is being done politically to counteract climate change. In agreement with respondents from Brazil, Poland, Germany, India, South Africa and Sweden, U.S. respondents do not believe that enough is being done politically to counteract climate change in order to eliminate the risk of extreme climate catastrophes; 26% of U.S. respondents believe definitely enough is not being done, with 35% relaying that enough is probably not being done.
  
• Individuals are willing to sacrifice to prevent extreme climate catastrophes. U.S. respondents are willing to sacrifice to prevent extreme climate catastrophes. 39% of U.S. respondents believe definitely that we should try to prevent extreme climate catastrophes (which might not occur for several centuries) even if this requires considerable sacrifices from us today, with 40% responding that such catastrophes should maybe be prevented.

About the Global Challenges Foundation 

The Global Challenges Foundation was founded in Sweden at the end of 2011 by investor László Szombatfalvy. Since the beginning of 2013, Margot Wallström, former EU Commissioner and Swedish Government Minister, and Johan Rockström, Executive Director of Stockholm Resilience Centre and Professor in Environmental Science at Stockholm University, have joined the Board. Margot Wallström is the official spokesperson of the foundation.

For the full survey results, please use the following link: http://globalchallenges.org/globalsurvey

For more information, please contact:
Carin Ism, Coordinator
Global Challenges Foundation
Stureplan 4C
114 35 Stockholm Sweden
Phone: +46-7-35-266-786
carin@globalchallenges.org

SOURCE Global Challenges Foundation