Our new polling on environmental attitudes and objectives points to widespread pessimism at the prospects of meeting our shared environmental targets, whether at a Scottish, British or global level. People are split on the adequacy of Scotland’s net zero targets, and a plurality judge the UK’s 2050 target to be inadequate.
Despite this, most people are still doubtful of achieving these targets. A majority of people have little or no confidence in the Scotland meeting its environmental targets, rising to three quarters saying the same of the UK. A third of the population overall simultaneously judge Britain’s targets to be insufficient, while still doubting that they will be met.
Young people are at odds with other demographic groups, much more likely to judge targets to be inadequate. Of those expressing an opinion, young people were almost twice as likely as those aged over 65 to say that Scotland’s targets were insufficient. Those with a greater knowledge of climate change and net zero were also more likely to deem existing targets inadequate.