Yangyel Lhaden

About 88 percent of Bhutanese interviewed in a survey said that they wanted stronger climate action from their leaders.

The result is from the UNDP’s survey, The People’s Climate Vote 2024, which was launched yesterday in New York. The survey  asked people whether they want bolder climate action from their country.

The survey was conducted to help decision-makers as governments begin to update their climate action plans (Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs) for submission in 2025 – which also marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement.

The results are also expected to help achieve updated NDCs ahead of COP30 (Conference of the Parties), the biggest climate conference, in 2025.

At COP29 in November 2024, governments will discuss raising climate ambition, new climate finance commitments, and the support needed to achieve updated NDCs.

For the survey, over 73,000 people were surveyed in 77 countries, representing 87 percent of the world’s population. The participants were chosen by randomised telephone polling, meaning anyone with a mobile phone in any of the surveyed countries had a chance to take part.

In Bhutan, 1,033 interviews were conducted with an 11.1 percent response rate. The overall response rate of the survey is 6.8 percent. Sample sizes in each country varied from 900 to 1,500 respondents and a total of 1.9 million calls were made to achieve 73,765 interviews.

Globally, for telephonic interviews, a response rate of around five to 15 percent is typical.

Four out of five people or 80 percent of people interviewed want stronger climate action by governments, according to the survey.

Even more – 86 percent – want to see their countries set aside geopolitical differences and work together on climate change. “The scale of consensus is especially striking in the current global context of increased conflict and the rise of nationalism,” the report states.

In Bhutan, 94 percent of respondents said they want to see countries work together to combat climate change.

“The Peoples’ Climate Vote is loud and clear. Global citizens want their leaders to transcend their differences, to act now and to act boldly to fight the climate crisis,” UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said “The survey results – unprecedented in their coverage – reveal a level of consensus that is truly astonishing.”

“We urge leaders and policymakers to take note, especially as countries develop their next round of climate action pledges – or ‘nationally determined contributions’ under the Paris Agreement. This is an issue that almost everyone, everywhere, can agree on,” he added.

Besides a broad call for bolder climate action, the survey shows that a global majority of 72 percent supports a quick transition away from fossil fuels.

This sentiment is evident in countries among the top 10 biggest producers of oil, coal, or gas, with majorities reaching 89 percent in Nigeria and Türkiye, 80 percent in China, 76 percent in Germany, 75 percent in Saudi Arabia, 69 percent in Australia, and 54 percent in the United States.

Globally, only 7 percent of people said their country should not transition at all. In Bhutan, 49 percent of respondents said they want to replace oil and gas to reduce emissions.

Although the source of energy in Bhutan is mainly through hydropower—clean energy— electricity today makes up only 37.6 percent of total energy consumption—electricity and thermal— while energy from alternative renewables such as solar and wind remained below one percent of total energy consumption, according to Bhutan Energy Data Directory 2022.

The survey also reveals across the world, climate change is on people’s minds, with 56 percent reporting they think about it regularly, including 63 percent in Least Developed Countries.

In Bhutan, 39 percent of respondents said they think about climate change, 74 percent said their worry about climate change has increased compared to last year, 34 percent worry about the effect of climate change on the next generation, and 56 percent have experienced recent extreme weather.

Forty-two percent respondents from Bhutan said they felt the country was doing very well in addressing climate change while 88 percent respondents said the country should strengthen its commitment to address climate change.

“As world leaders decide on the next round of pledges under the Paris Agreement by 2025, these results are undeniable evidence that people everywhere support bold climate action,” Cassie Flynn, Global Director of Climate Change, UNDP said. “The Peoples’ Climate Vote has enlisted the voices of people everywhere – including amongst groups traditionally the most difficult to poll.”

The next two years stood as one of the best chances we have as the international community to ensure that warming stays under 1.5 degree celsius, Cassie Flynn added.

“We stand ready to support policymakers in stepping up their efforts as they develop their climate action plans through our Climate Promise initiative.”