Good Energy’s research has shown there’s some division between what we say we care about and what we do on the environment

If pressed, which one environmental issue would you say concerns you most?

It’s not an easy or a simple question. Most environmentally conscious people care about all issues that affect our planet.  

Whilst we are definitely concerned with all kinds of environmental issues, Good Energy was founded to combat climate change — something that’s core to our purpose today. So, we thought it would be interesting to find out if other people would say the same.

As part of some research we conducted recently with YouGov*, we asked over two thousand people in the UK what their top environmental concern was, along with some questions about what people actually do out of concern for the environment. There were some interesting results.

Our environmental concerns

We found that the thing that more people care most about than any other is global warming. This issue topped plastic waste, threats to wildlife, air pollution and deforestation.

In general, which one, if any, of the following environmental issues would you say concerns you the most? (Percentages)

Our environmental actions

However, when asked what we actually do out of concern for the environment, what people told us shows they tend to focus on waste. Recycling and using a bag for life come out top, whilst avoiding microbeads beads topped using renewable energy sources. 

Using energy and water more efficiently comes in third on the list of priorities — great news considering the least polluting unit of energy possible is one not used.

Which, if any, of the following do you currently do out of concern for the environment? (Percentages)

It’s understandable that our actions on climate change don’t necessarily match how much we care about the issue. It can seem like an almost existential struggle, too big for anyone to take on so it has to be dealt with ‘top down’ by our world leaders.

We have seen world leaders pledge to take action, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take action on an individual basis too — check out our blog on things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint, which includes things like switching to a clean power provider, or reducing your reliance on a petrol or diesel powered car. These actions, if taken together, will have an impact.

*Research commissioned by Good Energy and conducted by YouGov. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2110 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 4th – 5th January 2018. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).