SA 'most concerned'

2007-04-11 14:40

Johannesburg - South Africans are the most concerned nation about the effects of climate change, a global opinion survey has found.

"Eighty two percent of (South African) respondents state that they are very concerned or somewhat concerned about the effect of climate change," international market research firm Synovate said on Wednesday.

"South Africans registered the world's highest score of those being very concerned at 55%. As a result they are amongst the countries most likely to encourage their friends to become greener."

The Synovate Global Omnibus survey was carried out in 21 countries in February with international news and information channel BBC World.

"We set out to find what the world thinks about some of the most important issues facing our planet today," said head of media research at Synovate, Steve Garton.

He said more than two thirds of the world was concerned about climate change.

Among those indicating some level of concern, almost one fifth of South African respondents (17%) believed that cars were a contributing force to climate change.

"More than a third (37%) stated that they had already bought or that they plan to buy a smaller car," Garton said.

The managing director of Synovate sub-Saharan Africa, Jon Salters said: "With the ever-increasing number of cars on the road, buying more fuel efficient vehicles is a key focus point in the drive to do our bit for climate change."

The survey also found that many people were unclear about the consequences of climate change.

One in seven people who had an opinion on climate change did not know what the main danger would be.

Koreans, Chinese and Singaporeans especially remained uninformed about the dangers of climate change, while South Africans believed that the major danger was flooding and drought.

A total of 41% of respondents believed that one country - the United States - was responsible for climate change.

Nearly two thirds of respondents from South Africa and 89% from the United Kingdom blamed the US.

Almost four in five Americans, however, believed that no specific country was to blame, while more than 40% of Indians believed that India was the country most responsible. Eleven percent of South Africans believed that South Africa was to blame.

The survey also revealed that in order to reduce the effects of climate change, more than two thirds of South Africans have reduced packaging and 61% have reported buying green products and recycling waste.

More than 20% of respondents believed that human causes, like pollution, were the main factors causing climate change.

- SAPA