For Immediate Release United States Public Opinion Poll
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CLIMATE SUMMIT
Americans Welcome Some of the Provisions in Copenhagen Accord
Only 40 per cent are satisfied with President Barack Obama’s performance at last month’s Climate Summit.
[SAN FRANCISCO – Jan. 5, 2010] – Few Americans applaud the performance of President Barack Obama at last month’s Climate Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, but are happy with some of the promises made at the meeting, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found. In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,005 American adults, only two-in-five respondents (40%) are satisfied with the American president’s actions at the December summit sponsored by the United Nations (UN) to discuss global warming. Thirty-five per cent of Americans express dissatisfaction with Obama’s performance at the meeting. The Copenhagen Accord Americans are not overly happy with the final accord from the global summit. Only a quarter of them (26%) are satisfied with the fact that countries did not sign a legally binding agreement. Forty-two per cent welcome a promise to hold the increase in global temperatures below two degrees Celsius, and 39 per cent agree with a pact to set up a fund to help poorer nations cope with climate change.
KEY FINDINGS
40% are satisfied with Obama’s actions at Copenhagen 44% are unhappy with not legally binding agreement 42% welcome commitment to maintain rising temperatures below 2°; but 60% think nations will not reach this goal 57% agree with aiming to cut global emissions by half by 2020
Full topline results are at the end of this release.
From December 22 to December 23, 2009, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,005 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.
CONTACT: Ashley Grosse, Senior Vice President, US Public Affairs, 415.489.7105, ashley.grosse@angus-reid.com Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs, 604-647-3570, mario.canseco@angus-reid.com
For Immediate Release United States Public Opinion Poll
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The only provision in the Copenhagen Accord that elicits a positive response from a majority of Americans (57%) is the commitment to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by half relative to 1990 levels by 2020. Two-thirds of Americans (66%) express little or no confidence in countries being able to reach the goal of keeping rising temperatures below two degrees Celsius, and only 19 per cent think the Copenhagen Accord will become legally binding in the future. Copenhagen and Climate Change: An Analysis Respondents can be roughly divided into those who believe global warming is a fact and say it is caused by human activity (1); those who think global warming is a reality but is caused by natural changes (2), and those who think global warming is an unproven theory (3). Most Americans falling in the first group (51%) are content with President Obama’s performance at the Copenhagen conference, but this is true for only 39 per cent and 21 per cent of respondents in the two following groups. Those in the first group are more inclined to express frustration at the fact that the Copenhagen Accord is not legally binding (54% are dissatisfied with this) than those in the second (42%) and third groups (34%). A similar proportion of respondents in the first two groups (49% and 43% respectively) are satisfied with signatories to the pact agreeing to hold increasing temperatures below the two-degree mark, while only 31 per cent of people in the third group agree. Most respondents in the first group welcome the fund to help poor nations deal with global warming (52%), but less than 35 per cent of respondents in the other two groups agree. And a majority of Americans in the first and second categories (70% and 52%, respectively) agree with the commitment to lower global emission levels by half below 1990 levels by 2020, but only 38 per cent of those in the third group share this view.
CONTACT: Ashley Grosse, Senior Vice President, US Public Affairs, 415.489.7105, ashley.grosse@angus-reid.com Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs, 604-647-3570, mario.canseco@angus-reid.com
For Immediate Release United States Public Opinion Poll
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Climate Summit As you may know, representatives from 170 countries met earlier this month in Copenhagen, Denmark, to participate in a Climate Summit organized by the United Nations (UN). Overall, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the performance of President Barack Obama during the conference? Who thinks: Global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by emissions from vehicles and industrial facilities 16% Who thinks: Global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by natural changes 14% Who thinks: Global warming is a theory that has not yet been proven 5%
TOTAL
Very satisfied
12%
Moderately satisfied
28%
35%
25%
16%
Moderately dissatisfied
18%
18%
23%
18%
Very dissatisfied
17%
8%
20%
41%
Not sure
25%
23%
19%
20%
CONTACT: Ashley Grosse, Senior Vice President, US Public Affairs, 415.489.7105, ashley.grosse@angus-reid.com Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs, 604-647-3570, mario.canseco@angus-reid.com
For Immediate Release United States Public Opinion Poll
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Climate Summit From what you have seen, read or heard, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with each of the following characteristics of the Copenhagen Accord? – Very/Moderately satisfied summary Who thinks: Global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by emissions from vehicles and industrial facilities 21% Who thinks: Global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by natural changes 32% Who thinks: Global warming is a theory that has not yet been proven 37%
TOTAL
The fact that the accord is not legally binding Signatories agreeing to hold the increase in global temperatures below two degrees Celsius Creating a fund to help poor nations adapt to climate change that will grow to $100-billion U.S. annually by 2020
26%
42%
49%
43%
31%
39%
52%
34%
20%
Aiming to reduce worldwide emissions by 50 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020
57%
70%
52%
38%
CONTACT: Ashley Grosse, Senior Vice President, US Public Affairs, 415.489.7105, ashley.grosse@angus-reid.com Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs, 604-647-3570, mario.canseco@angus-reid.com
For Immediate Release United States Public Opinion Poll
Page 5 of 8
Climate Summit From what you have seen, read or heard, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with each of the following characteristics of the Copenhagen Accord? – Very/Moderately dissatisfied summary Who thinks: Global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by emissions from vehicles and industrial facilities 54% Who thinks: Global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by natural changes 42% Who thinks: Global warming is a theory that has not yet been proven
TOTAL
The fact that the accord is not legally binding
44%
34%
Signatories agreeing to hold the increase in global temperatures below two degrees Celsius Creating a fund to help poor nations adapt to climate change that will grow to $100-billion U.S. annually by 2020 Aiming to reduce worldwide emissions by 50 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020
28%
24%
32%
39%
40%
28%
48%
62%
24%
15%
32%
42%
CONTACT: Ashley Grosse, Senior Vice President, US Public Affairs, 415.489.7105, ashley.grosse@angus-reid.com Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs, 604-647-3570, mario.canseco@angus-reid.com
For Immediate Release United States Public Opinion Poll
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Climate Summit How confident are you that the goal of holding the increase in global temperatures below two degrees Celsius will be reached? Who thinks: Global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by emissions from vehicles and industrial facilities Who thinks: Global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by natural changes Who thinks: Global warming is a theory that has not yet been proven
TOTAL
Completely confident / Moderately confident Not too confident / Not confident at all
24%
28%
28%
16%
60%
63%
59%
66%
Not sure
16%
10%
12%
18%
CONTACT: Ashley Grosse, Senior Vice President, US Public Affairs, 415.489.7105, ashley.grosse@angus-reid.com Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs, 604-647-3570, mario.canseco@angus-reid.com
For Immediate Release United States Public Opinion Poll
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Climate Summit Do you think the Copenhagen Accord will become a legally binding treaty in the future? Who thinks: Global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by emissions from vehicles and industrial facilities 25% Who thinks: Global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by natural changes 20% Who thinks: Global warming is a theory that has not yet been proven 10%
TOTAL
Yes
19%
No
37%
30%
39%
59%
Not sure
44%
45%
41%
30%
CONTACT: Ashley Grosse, Senior Vice President, US Public Affairs, 415.489.7105, ashley.grosse@angus-reid.com Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs, 604-647-3570, mario.canseco@angus-reid.com
For Immediate Release United States Public Opinion Poll
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Angus Reid Public Opinion is a practice of Vision Critical—a global research and technology company specializing in custom online panels, private communities, and innovative online methods. Vision Critical is a leader in the use of the Internet and rich media technology to collect high-quality, in-depth insights for a wide array of clients. Dr. Angus Reid and the Angus Reid Strategies team are pioneers in online research methodologies, and have been conducting online surveys since 1995 Vision Critical is now one of the largest market research enterprises in the world. In addition to its five offices in Canada—located in Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Toronto, and Montreal—the firm also has offices in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, London, Paris and Sydney. Its team of specialists provides solutions across every type and sector of research, and currently serves over 200 international clients. Angus Reid Public Opinion polls are conducted using the Angus Reid Forum (www.angusreidforum.com), Springboard America (www.springboardamerica.com) and Springboard UK (www.springboarduk.com) online panels, which are carefully recruited to ensure representation across all demographic and psychographic segments of these populations. Panel members pass through rigorous screening and a double opt-in process ensuring highly motivated and responsive members. These premier online survey platforms present respondents with highly visual, interactive, and engaging surveys, ensuring that panel members provide thoughtful and reliable responses. Each survey is actively sampled and weighted to model that characteristics of the universe required and employs the latest in quality control techniques to ensure data validity. Angus Reid, the only public opinion firm to exclusively use online methods to follow the views of the electorate during the 2008 federal campaign, offered the most accurate prediction of the results of Canada’s 40th election. http://bit.ly/4zxfIS Since 2006, Angus Reid has covered eight provincial elections in Canada—more than any other pollster in the country—and the results have accurately predicted the outcome of each of these democratic processes. More information on the way Angus Reid conducts public opinion research can be found at http://bit.ly/3z0uII
- 30 For more information, please contact our spokesperson listed in the footnote. Copies of this poll are available on our website: http://www.visioncritical.com/category/global-opinions-and-trends
CONTACT: Ashley Grosse, Senior Vice President, US Public Affairs, 415.489.7105, ashley.grosse@angus-reid.com Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs, 604-647-3570, mario.canseco@angus-reid.com