Climate and environmental issues top priorities of Arabs: Trends’ opinion poll results

The results of an opinion poll on the Arab public perceptions towards climate change entitled "Climate Change...Attitudes, perceptions and participation", carried out by the Global Barometer Department at TRENDS Research and Advisory, found that 62.5% of Arabs consider climate change a major source of risk, and regard climate and environmental issues at the top of their priorities and concerns.

The survey, launched on the sidelines of COP28, explored the extent to which people are concerned about climate change, with 77.7% of respondents expressing concern about these increasingly extreme phenomena, while 42.1% confirmed that they are very concerned about climate change, compared to the inaugural Arab Youth Survey in 2008, where only 11% of the youth surveyed felt that climate change and the environment are the biggest challenges facing the world.

Thirteen years later, climate change has come to dominate the youth agenda, with 56% of those surveyed saying they are concerned about these diverse issues that endanger safe living on the Planet Earth.

The Arab Public Opinion Survey identified the risks of climate change by level of education factor and found about 16% differences between people with basic education and those with higher levels of education. 64.3% of those with basic education are aware of the risks of climate change, while 80.5% of those with higher education are aware of these risks.

The results of the Arab Public Opinion Survey on "Climate Change" concluded that six out of ten respondents believe that global warming and rising temperatures are the most serious effects of climate change.

The survey also found positive indicators among the Arab public, as they have become highly aware of climate issues, which is reflected in the fact that they hold themselves responsible at a higher rate than the European public about human activity associated with climate change phenomena. This is a crucial point for climate policies in Arab countries

Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of Trends Research and Advisory, said that the opinion poll aligns with the Centre's keenness to keep abreast with global developments and interact with regional and international issues.

Dr. Al-Ali stated that the Arab Public Opinion Survey on Climate Change is an attempt to measure the awareness of citizens of Arab countries about climate issues and global warming and the extent to which they contribute to reducing the effects of climate change.

Al-Ali indicated that the survey covered a range of important issues, including the degree of concern about climate change and its repercussions, the general knowledge of the Arab public about climate change, as well as the readiness of the Arab public to adopt practices that reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, and the extent of the Arab public's participation in activities and organisations that combat the effects of climate change.

Sultan Majed Al-Ali, Director of the Global Barometer Department at Trends Research and Advisory, explained that the opinion poll results were prepared using the quantitative approach, with the survey as a basic means of data collection.

The questionnaire dealt with four basic topics in addition to demographic information. The surveyed sample included about 2,500 people from five Arab countries, namely the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, and Iraq.

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