People of faith in Britain are more sceptical of climate change, new poll shows

The survey of 2,064 UK adults, conducted by Whitestone Insight between 31st May and 2nd June 2024, revealed that Hindus living in the UK are most concerned about climate change, with 80% of Hindus are convinced that the climate is changing. This is higher than both the average amongst those of faith (76%) and the national average (77%). 

Meanwhile, whilst 35% of Christians and 31% of Muslims do believe climate change is happening, they believe it is not primarily caused by human activity. 

Dr. Jake Scott, secretary of the Institute, says:

Despite almost all faiths emphasising a duty of care and guardianship to the Earth, people of faith in the United Kingdom are more sceptical of climate change than their nonreligious counterparts, especially regarding both its existence and its man-made causes. 

However, the reasons for this remain complex and multifaceted, with differences within and between faiths explored within this timely report. 

If climate change is to be confronted seriously, there must be greater efforts to engage with faith communities across the country. 

Amandeep Kaur Mann, Co-founder of EcoSikhUK, says of the findings:

While there are some differences between people of faith according to their religious beliefs, it’s clear to see that integrity of our own actions matters massively across humanity and all faiths regarding climate change.  The suffering of people and planet requires us to take action and use the divine energy (Waheguru) God has blessed us with to make positive change in this world. 

For any further information or commentary, please contact Dr Jake Scott, secretary for the Institute.

Dr Jake Scott
jake.scott@iifl.org.uk

Notes for editors:

• Whitestone Insight interviewed 2,064 UK adults online between 31st May and 2nd June 2024. Data were weighted to be representative of all UK adults. Whitestone Insight is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
• The full report can be found here.
• IIFL is a research forum examining the role that faith and religious belief plays in the lives of people in the UK, whether at work, at home, or in the community. 

• Whitestone Insight’s data tables can be found here.