Only one in five backs politicians to make global warming agreement, poll finds

Almost half of Britons are following the Cop26 climate talks in Glasgow but only 20% trust politicians to deliver an agreement to stave off runaway global warming, new polling has found.

Some 46% of Britons have been following the summit, with about one in 10 saying they are following it closely.

The UK public had the most faith in experts to ensure the negotiations reach a viable agreement, with four in 10 saying scientists were best-placed to achieve this, according to research by Ipsos Mori.

As the talks enter their final phase, less than one in five think politicians will get the job done, with only 17% saying they trust UK policy-makers, and only 14% having faith in those from other countries.

Out of a sample of 1,016 adults aged 16 to 75, more had faith in climate activists than politicians, with 24% saying they could successfully force an agreement over the line.

Some 15% of respondents said none of the delegates at the summit would be able to make the talks a success, with six per cent saying they did not think an agreement should be reached.

China and India were perceived as dragging their feet – with around 50% of those polled saying they could be doing more in the fight against climate change.

Half of Britons said India’s commitment to be carbon neutral by 2070 was not ambitious enough while 48% said the same of China’s pledge to be carbon neutral by 2060.

The pledge by more than 100 countries to end deforestation by 2030 which was announced early on in the conference was the most popular, with 41% saying the target was about right.

Nearly a third – 29% – say it is not ambitious enough while only 17% say it is too ambitious.

The commitment to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030 from over 100 nations divided opinion – 33% said it was not ambitious enough, 34% said it was about right and two in 10 believed it was too ambitious.

Rachel Brisley, head of energy and environment at Ipsos Mori Public Affairs, said: “While work is under way on agreements with others having already been struck, public confidence in politicians to strike a deal is not high, with a number of the announcements not being viewed as ambitious enough already.

“With only a day left, the public still need convincing that enough is being done.”

A YouGov poll published earlier this week revealed public concern for the environment has hit a record high, with more than 40% of the UK population putting it in their top three issues facing the country.

Fear for the future of the planet has quadrupled since 2018 – when it was listed as a major concern by just 10% of Britons.

The first wave of Extinction Rebellion protests in 2018 and 2019 pushed it up to the mid-20s and it seems to have been compounded by growing awareness of climate change in the run-up to the Cop26 summit.