Climate should be election priority, survey finds
Marcio Astrini
Daisy Serena/Observatório do Clima
The climate crisis remains a major concern for Brazilians, and many already feel threatened by the effects of climate change. As a result, there is strong demand for presidential candidates to present proposals on the issue.
Those are among the findings of an Ipsos survey commissioned by the Climate Observatory, a network of 172 civil society organizations working on climate issues. “Climate and the Environment in Brazilians’ Perceptions” surveyed 1,800 people aged 18 and older across the country between August 17 and 30. The questionnaire included 32 questions about climate and the environment and whether these issues are on public and government agendas. The aim was to examine how Brazilians view the climate crisis, the role of government, priorities, and expectations.
One of the strongest areas of consensus is that climate change causes droughts, heavy rainfall, and heat waves, a view shared by 87% of respondents, while 85% agree that the crisis is affecting their daily lives. Of the total sample, 79% believe the issue should be a priority even if that entails costs, and 76% believe there is still time to avert the worst consequences.
Social and economic problems nevertheless dominate public concerns. Public insecurity and crime rank first, cited by 49%, followed by the rising cost of living, at 41%; violence against women and femicides, at 36%; and the quality of public health care, at 34%. Climate change and the environmental crisis rank ninth, at 19%.
When the question is limited to environmental problems, climate change ranks first, with 35% of mentions. The issue matters more to left-wing respondents (30%) than to those on the right (10%). Younger groups also assign it greater priority, at 22%, compared with 14% among those over age 51.
“The survey tells us a story: Climate change was not as present in people’s lives 10 years ago as it is today, but their understanding of the problem still lacks depth,” said Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate Observatory. “The major change in recent years is that the climate agenda has moved out of reports and into people’s real lives in the form of tragedy.”
Astrini noted that the survey shows Brazilians want candidates to make climate commitments, with 91% saying so, but that this is unfortunately not happening. “Most presidential hopefuls have weak plans on the issue—or no plans at all. One of them is even a committed climate-change denialist,” he said.
Another striking area of consensus is that climate and the environment should be an important part of the government agenda, a view shared by 90% of respondents, while only 3% consider the issue of little or no importance.
The survey also sought to gauge public perceptions of methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than CO2. Livestock farming is Brazil’s largest source of methane emissions, but the survey shows that respondents perceive the issue differently: Most attribute the gas’s emissions to landfills, open-air dumps, and the burning of fossil fuels.
In material sent to the press, Suely Araújo, the Climate Observatory’s public policy coordinator, said the survey confirms that Brazilians are concerned about climate change and its effects. “The effort is to ensure that this concern translates into votes that elect candidates who genuinely incorporate this issue into their work,” she said. “In the midst of a climate crisis, we cannot accept open or disguised deniers in either the executive or legislative branch.”
Astrini said people feel that climate change “disrupts their lives. But their understanding of the problem’s origins remains confused.” Among the most worrisome effects of the climate crisis, heat waves and rising temperatures rank first, at 29%, followed by torrential rainfall and flooding, at 22%. Rising sea levels and the effects on coastal areas concern only 3% of respondents.
The largest share of respondents, 47%, said they were “not at all satisfied” with how federal, state, and municipal governments responded to climate disasters. Another plurality, 43%, said investment projects should comply with current environmental standards and opposed easing the standards proposed in legislation currently under consideration.
Translation: Todd Harkin
