Less than half of Brits believe COP28 will lead to “tangible change”

New research has unearthed that as little as 38 percent of Brits believe COP28 will lead to tangible change in the global fight against climate change.

Carried out by Varda, the survey was created to determine attitudes towards the most recent United Nations Climate Change Conference and at COP28 in Dubai.

The survey asked 1,000 UK consumers for their insight and revealed that 57 percent don’t have an in-depth understanding of what COP is. Meanwhile, a further 10 percent don’t know what objectives COP27 set out to achieve. In fact, 63 percent are not aware of (or didn’t remember) the theme from COP27.

The previous COP took place in Egypt in November 2022, however in the year since then, Varda has shared that “it appears that consumers are yet to feel its impact”. Sixty five percent of respondents stated that they haven’t noticed any changes to the country or communities since the event though only five percent felt COP27 was effective in addressing pressing climate issues, and six percent felt that it reflected the needs of ordinary people.

Sixty nine percent of respondents even said that they believe the event is “more about political posturing than the fight against climate change”, and half of respondents believe that the UK Government “isn’t committed to the objectives of COP”.

“It’s clear that there is skepticism regarding the effectiveness of COP. However, it’s heartening to see that many still view it as a vital platform for instigating change. At Varda, we are steadfast in our belief that collaboration is key to safeguarding our collective future, and this collaboration needs to encompass everyone; from the political establishment to the corporate world, from activists to NGO to common citizens,” said Davide Ceper, CEO at Varda.

“While the aspiration is clearly present in all sectors, the conviction, according to survey respondents, seems lacking. This underscores the pressing need for more education and involvement of all communities in the concerted efforts to address this global issue.”

Considering COP28, the survey revealed there is still a lot of optimism for this year’s conference. A total of 48 percent of consumers said that they still think COP28 is a step in the right direction for addressing climate change.

Meanwhile 47 percent believe comprehensive media campaigns on TV, radio, and in newspapers would strengthen awareness around COP, while 25 percent believe mandatory transparency reports on decision-making processes, and 21 percent binding legal consequences for not meeting set targets or promises, would help with overall accountability.

“Generating more awareness and more engagement from everyone will be pivotal for us making positive strides towards our goals. COP28 can be a tremendous catalyst for this and we must make sure that the messages reach far and wide,” continued Ceper.