Climate change

Two out of five people in Great Britain say they are doing something to tackle climate change, according to a recent poll Ipsos for the Environment Agency.

Ipsos was commissioned by Viking Energy Ltd to conduct a survey among Shetland residents, exploring attitudes towards the proposed construction of a windfarm in the central mainland of the island.

New research for the Nuclear Industry Association shows that 72% of the British public agree that the UK needs a mix of energy sources to ensure a reliable supply of electricity, including nuclear power and renewable energy sources. When asked specifically about nuclear newbuild, to ensure the same proportion of nuclear energy is retained, 39% would support it while 29% would oppose it. The remainder are undecided.

A new Ipsos survey for the Evening Standard reveals that over half of Londoners (57%) think the media has helped encourage people to behave more environmentally friendly. However, Londoners are unsure which political party would do most to help protect the environment — over a third (36%) say they don't know which political party has the best policies on climate change and 12% do not rate any party's environmental policies. Among the parties, the Greens are most often mentioned (25%) as having the best policies on climate change; the three major parties are equally unlikely to be perceived as having the best climate change agenda (9% Conservative, 8% Labour, 8% Liberal Democrat).

Research by Ipsos among British MPs this Summer has shown a major boost to the acceptability of building replacement nuclear power stations. Sixty-one percent of MPs now support this; up 16 points since Summer 2005. Within this, the most notable change is the growth in support among Labour MPs: up 22 points to 60%. There is a sense this support is a little reluctant — just 44% are actually favourable towards nuclear energy — but it is sustained by a feeling there is no real alternative, given the need for limiting carbon emissions.

Ipsos was commissioned by the Western Isles Development Trust (WIDT) to conduct a survey of residents views on renewable energy.

Ipsos conducted research among the general public for the Airfields Environment Trust (AET) in order to establish the mood among the British public regarding air travel and its impact on the environment. The research also examines the potential acceptability of an increase in tax on air travel. Results show:

Ipsos has released details of a major, international study for Greenpeace which reviews how, if at all, environmental factors affect the buying and choosing of computers. Public attitudes towards the computer industry and environmental waste are also assessed. As part of the study, Ipsos looked at how much more PC owners would be prepared to pay for a more environmentally friendly PC, assuming that they would have to pay about £500 for a normal computer.

A recent survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Envirowise. A number of important findings emerged regarding waste management services, awareness and usage amongst Small and Medium Enterprises in Great Britain.