Most say they can help solve climate ills

We are concerned about climate change and recognise the impact individuals can have on the nation's excessive carbon footprint. But when it comes to personal initiative, we are reluctant to take a stand or pay a price. A survey commissioned by The National ahead of the four-day World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, which begins tomorrow, indicates that while the vast majority of people in the UAE (88 per cent) are concerned about climate change, a similar proportion (82 per cent) believe the main responsibility for taking steps to protect the environment should rest with the Government. This is a view held most emphatically by Emiratis (53 per cent) and Arab expatriates (60), compared with westerners (33) and Asians (38).

Nevertheless, 83 per cent of all respondents also believe that altering individual behaviour can help seriously to reduce the impact of global warming, a proposition with which only 12 per cent disagree. Armen Vartanian, the director of EcoVentures, an environmental advisory company in Dubai, called those "heartening numbers" that contrast favourably with the generally more sceptical attitudes in countries such as the US.

The results of the survey, said Razan al Mubarak, managing director of the Emirates Wildlife Society-World Wide Fund for Nature, "send a signal to the government" to develop policies that encourage the availability of low-carbon technologies so that businesses start to provide lower-carbon goods and services that encourage consumers to "walk the talk". Dr David Blackmore, the director of the environmental management sector of the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), said it was "encouraging that so many people understand or have heard of climate change".

The high level of awareness, he believed, could be attributed to initiatives by EAD, the Heroes of the UAE environment-awareness campaign and Masdar, the Abu Dhabi Government's clean-energy firm. Not all measures to reduce carbon footprints were expensive for individuals, Dr Blackmore said: installing energy-saving lights at home, for example, costs more at the time of purchase but leads to long-term savings.

Furthermore, the Government was playing its part: "The Urban Planning Council is certainly integrating sustainability into their master plans," he said. In addition, building codes soon to be introduced by municipal authorities would make new buildings more energy- and water-efficient. The survey of 799 respondents was conducted online in the UAE for The National by YouGov, the international research organisation, during and after the 11-day United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen in December.

The results show marked differences between nationalities throughout the survey. Overall concern about green issues is consistently less common among Emiratis and expatriate Arabs. The 48 per cent of all respondents who declare themselves to be extremely worried about climate change include 56 per cent of Asians and 47 per cent of westerners, but only 35 per cent of Emiratis. While only four per cent of westerners and six per cent of Asians have no concerns, this rises to 15 per cent among Emiratis, of whom a further 15 per cent do not know where they stand on the issue.

Nevertheless, overall, 87 per cent have little or no doubt, as the majority of climate-change scientists believe, that human activity since the start of the industrial age is the major cause of global warming. The survey finds widespread support for minor lifestyle changes. But while 85 per cent claim they turn off all electric appliances when they leave home for trips or holidays and 82 per cent say they try to save water by turning off taps while they are shaving, washing their hair or cleaning their teeth, the willingness to introduce personal energy-saving recedes sharply when any lifestyle disruption or financial cost is involved.

"Given the current economic downturn across the globe, it's not too surprising that the general public is not supportive of initiatives that impact their pockets," said Ms al Mubarak. However, the wildlife organisation's Heroes campaign was tackling this issue by raising awareness of simple actions that people could implement without having to change their lifestyles. Ms Mubarak said that "just by implementing the tips on heroesoftheuae.ae" residents in an average two-bedroom apartment can save at least Dh2,200 (US$600) a year.

Only 36 per cent of respondents would consider buying a hybrid or otherwise fuel-efficient car, with 47 per cent saying they would not dream of doing so if it cost them any more than a normal vehicle. The overall reluctance to spend money on saving the planet also extends to smaller items; a fifth of all respondents say they will not invest in energy-saving light bulbs if doing so costs them money.

More than a quarter of all respondents (26 per cent) would not even consider carpooling, walking, cycling or using public transport, a reluctance most pronounced among Emiratis (50 per cent). And 33 per cent overall would consider doing so only if it did not involve extra costs. * The National