Poll finds Catholics want government to do more to tackle climate change

Columban climate campaigners at COP26

Source: CAFOD

- Nearly six out of ten Catholics feel the government has done too little to tackle climate change in the last year.

- 52% of Christians felt the government had done too little to tackle climate change over the last year.

- Just one in five Catholics think the government is committed to meeting its Net Zero target.

- Nearly six out of ten Catholics (58%) in Great Britain feel the government has done too little to tackle climate change in the last year.

- Just under half (48%) of Catholics felt the government is not committed to meeting its Net Zero target by 2050 and reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.

The YouGov poll, commissioned by leading international development charity and the official aid agency for the Catholic Church in England and Wales in the run up to COP27, underlines the desire within the Catholic community for the government to do more to tackle climate change and support those affected by its deadly consequences.

The opinion poll was conducted between 24th and 26th October 2022, with a sample size of 3305 adults in Great Britain and included 212 Catholics.

One in three Catholics also (37%) felt the government was doing too little to support poorer countries to tackle climate change.

Bishop John Arnold, from the Diocese of Salford and Chair of CAFOD's trustees, said: "The environment cannot be isolated from our relationship with God. We are blessed with stewardship over the earth, but with this comes the responsibility to protect our planet and preserve it for future generations.

"For too long, we have been reliant on fossil fuels which are causing devastation to communities around the world. As the world's eyes descend on COP27, I pray the government and world leaders will seize this opportunity and invest in renewable energy so we can protect our planet for future generations.

Developing countries have contributed very little to global greenhouse gas emissions, yet they are the ones who are suffering its consequences.

Despite making a range of promises as COP President, such as promising to limit global temperature rises of 1.5 degrees and working toward more sustainable farming, the UK government has recently pursued policies that entrench reliance on fossil fuels and risk harming the planet.

This includes the Government announcing in October that it will be handing out over 100 oil and gas exploration licences in the North Sea.

In Pakistan, hundreds of lives were lost recently to deadly floods, which destroyed swathes of communities. In Kenya, the worst drought for 40 years has seen crops and livestock decimated, leaving millions on the brink of starvation."

The poll found that 52% of Christians felt the government had done too little to tackle climate change over the last year, with almost a third (30%) believing the government is doing too little to support poorer countries to tackle climate change.

Other findings from the poll include:

Just 20% and 24% of Catholics and Christians respectively believe the government is committed to its Net Zero target and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

24% of Catholics feel supporting farmers to grow food should be one of the main priorities for the overseas aid budget.
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.

Total sample size was 3,305 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 24th - 26th October 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+). The sample included 1254 Christians, including 212 Catholics.

The full results of the polling can be found at this link.