The majority of Bath residents interviewed by Greenpeace volunteers during a week of high street conversations said they want urgent action directed at tackling the climate emergency.
The Bath Greenpeace group held discussions with local residents to find out whether they noticed any impacts of climate change locally, what they believe to be the biggest cause of climate change, and what they think needs to be done to tackle it.
The recent IPCC report warned there is just over a decade left to cut carbon emissions in order to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees.
In late July, Britain experienced its hottest day on record, with the mercury hitting 30 degrees here in Bath, while a Met Office study revealed that the top 10 warmest years on record in the UK have all occurred since 2002.
Gill, a volunteer with Greenpeace Bath group who lives in Oldfield Park said: “We need to take urgent action on the climate emergency.
“The overwhelming majority of residents we spoke to (82%) here in Bath are noticing local impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather and the loss to local biodiversity.”
During the discussions, local people said they:
- Would support Government taking action to tackle climate change, even if this had a negative impact on their own lifestyle.
- Identified fossil fuel exploitation, transport and agriculture as the biggest causes of greenhouse gases.
- Are already doing lots themselves to tackle climate change, including driving less, eating less meat and installing solar panels, but want Government to lead the way.
Sara, who was with the group from Lower Weston said: “The new Government’s first priority must be to tackle the climate emergency.
“Our conversations show that we’re already doing our bit here in Bath but we need our Government to lead the way in reducing emissions and introduce policies that make it easier for people to live greener lives.
“We need to bring forward the deadline for reaching net-zero to earlier than 2045 or our children will inherit an uninhabitable planet.”