Environment is top-of-mind concern in India, China: Survey

When asked to name the most important problems facing their nation, some 40 per cent of urban citizens of China and 27 per cent in India volunteered an environment-related response (e.g. air, water pollution, ozone layer depletion, climate change) most often. Indians also said that the industry’s response to environmental concerns had been favourable over the last year.

Billed as the world’s largest environmentalsurvey, it found majorities in 28 of the 30 countries surveyed — ranging from 91 per cent in Greece to 54 per cent in India — as saying environmental laws as currently applied in their countries are inadequate. Two-thirds or more of people in countries such as China, Japan, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Chile, Argentina, and South Korea, are dissatisfied with environmental laws, while six of every 10 persons feel that way in Russia, Brazil, Germany, the US and elsewhere.

The question posed was identical to that used in an international Gallup poll before the 1992 Earth Summit. The 27 per cent result in India this year is up 21 points from the 6 per cent result obtained by Gallup six years ago when China was not surveyed in 1992.

The environment is also an important top-of-mind concern in Germany (23 per cent, up 14 points from 1992), Australia (23 per cent; 1992 n/a); Great Britain (22 per cent, up 19 points), Japan (20 per cent, up 8 points), Korea (19 per cent, up 8 points) andItaly (17 per cent, 1992 n/a). The environment is a top of mind concern of between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of respondents in Russia, Kazakhastan, Spain, Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Greece and New Zealand.

This second annual survey was conducted by associated polling firms in 30 countries, the largest-ever survey of its kind. More than 35,000 in-person or telephone interviews (at least 1,000 per country) were conducted in March and April, 1998, in India, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Turkey, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Kazakhastan, Australia, New Zealand, Nigeria, and South Africa. Together, the countries surveyed contain two-thirds of the world’s population. In addition, it shows majorities or near majorities in 26 of the 30 countries believe strong action is needed immediately to reduce human impacts on climate. Furthermore, in 15of the 20 countries where comparison to 1997 is possible, the number of people who share this view is growing.

Climatic change has received a great deal of public attention in the past year, especially in the lead up to and during last December’s UN conference in Kyoto, Japan, where industrialised countries agreed to reduce emissions of climate-changing gases. Over 61 per cent of the respondents in India were in favour of increased action to halt climatic change.