Sep 23 2009
People in developing Asia pin their hopes for a new global climate treaty mainly on one man: Barack Obama, according to a new poll.
The Synovate poll, conducted for the Tcktcktck campaign mounted by an alliance of major NGOs including WWF, found that 53% of Asians believe an agreement at the Copenhagen Climate Summit in December depends on leadership by the US President.
Others seen as crucial to a successful deal are Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (15%) and India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (14%) - particularly withiin their own nations.
The poll shows that people in China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand give their leaders a strong mandate for climate action at the UN General Assembly in New York and at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh later this month.
Those polled believe that countries with the biggest leadership potential are also among the most difficult to get into any agreement in Copenhagen, surprisingly highlighting China above all others (43%), an advocate of developing country interests as a member of the G77 group.
Other countries seen as challenging are the US (38%), India (33%), Japan (25%), Russia (24%), South Africa (20%), Brazil (18%), UK (17%), Germany (16%), Mexico (15%), France (14%) and Canada (10%).
“People in developing Asia think a few countries can make all the difference”, said Kim Carstensen, Leader of WWF’s Global Climate Initiative. “If the US, China and India live up to the huge leadership potential Asians see in them, Copenhagen can deliver a global deal that protects the world from runaway climate change, especially poor and vulnerable nations like those in Asia.”
Some 73% agreed that rich developed countries must lead the world in the fight against climate change, “because they are historically responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time most capable of reducing them”.
But 68% said that major developing countries must join the effort, “because their rapidly increasing emissions are adding more to the current state of pollution and they must switch from a dirty to a clean development model”.
First and foremost, however, people in the countries polled want their own governments to act, with 79% agreeing withthe statement: “Regardless of what other countries do and their historical responsibility, I want my government to take action and show leadership to reduce the risk from climate change for my country.”
"The poll results reflect the collective aspirations and wisdom of urban Asians, sending a strong signal to leaders of the developed world, especially President Obama, to cooperate with the developing countries for fair and appropriate contributions towards global emission reduction targets", said Shailendra Yashwant, Campaigns Director at Greenpeace South East Asia.
"The special session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 22 September is an opportunity for world leaders to act on the mandate offered by their citizens and take decisive action to stop deforestation as the first and foremost mitigation action."
The poll found 59% of respondents wanting their governments to engage positively in Copenhagen this December, but not offer a blank check. They feel that getting a deal is important, but it must be a fair one, safeguarding their individual country’s right to develop.
Some 29% go even further and urge their governments to be flexible and compromise. They agree with the statement: “Getting a deal is important, so this is not the time to be obstructionist. I really want my country to be a leader and think we can afford to give a bit more”.
Only 12% of Asians believe that any deal would be a bad deal, so their governments should not sign up.
“The strong demand for governments to work for a fair, ambitious, and binding treaty in Copenhagen is driven by a clear understanding that climate change is an immediate crisis, not a problem for the future," said Jamie Henn, East Asia Coordinator at 350.org.
“The poll shows that people are worried about the impacts of climate change, but they also know that the solutions are out there.”
The poll finds Asians most worried about the climate change impacts of water shortages (32%) and worsening health conditions (31%), followed by plant and animal extinction (20%) and food shortages (17%) – a clear reflection of the impacts hitting vulnerable developing countries in Asia already.
Stopping deforestation is the top priority for Asians when it comes to reducing emissions with 39% agreeing this was the main solution for a stable climate. Another 28% think actions need to be taken first within the energy sector, nominating increasing the uptake of renewable energy, implementing energy efficiency standards and shifting to less polluting modes of transport.
Some 17% of respondents said that changes in lifestyle and consumption patterns should take priority, and for 16% actions within the agricultural sector are the top solution.
The poll was released ahead of the Major Economies Forum in Washington (17-18 Sept), the Ban-ki Moon Leaders Summit on Climate Change and the UN General Assembly in New York (21-22 Sept) , and the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh (24-25 Sept). UN climate talks will resume in Bangkok on 28 September, and progress in Bangkok will largely depend on outcomes of the meetings in the US.