Politics G20 citizens: Immediate action needed to protect the planet
According to a survey, more than two thirds of people in 18 of the world's largest economies (71%) see an immediate need for action to protect the planet.
24.06.2024, 01:22
SDA
There are major differences from country to country: in Mexico, 91 percent of respondents said that measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions were needed immediately, within a decade - in Saudi Arabia, only 52 percent, according to the think tank Club of Rome on Monday.
The proportion of those who see a need for immediate action was also high in Kenya (86%), South Africa (83%) and Brazil (81%), and comparatively low in Japan (53%), the USA (62%) and Italy (62%). In Germany, the figure was 66%.
Well-being instead of economic growth
62% of all respondents also believe that the economic success of a country should be measured by the health and well-being of its citizens and not by how fast the economy is growing. According to the results, only 37% currently trust their government to make long-term decisions that will benefit the majority of people in 20 or 30 years' time. In Germany, the figure is as low as 26%.
The survey conducted by market research company Ipsos on behalf of the Earth4All initiative and the Global Commons Alliance in G20 countries also shows that 68% of respondents are in favor of a wealth tax for the rich, while 69% are in favor of higher tax rates for large companies. In Germany, 68% are in favor of a wealth tax, while in less wealthy countries such as Indonesia (86%) and Turkey (78%) the figure is significantly higher. Fewer people - but still the majority - support such a tax in Saudi Arabia and Argentina (54% each).
Debate about special tax
The results were published in the run-up to the G20 finance ministers' meeting in Brazil in July, where the proposal for a special tax on the super-rich will also be discussed. "This survey proves once again that the majority of citizens in the G20 countries believe that it is time for an economy that delivers more prosperity, more climate action and less inequality," said Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Executive Chair of Earth4All.
The Earth4All initiative is led by the Club of Rome, the Norwegian Business School and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). Its aim is to develop transformative political and economic solutions for the 21st century to achieve sustainable development within planetary boundaries. The initiative builds on the report "The Limits to Growth", which was published by the Club of Rome in 1972. The Global Commons Alliance is a network of international organizations working to protect the global commons.
In March and April 2024, Ipsos surveyed a representative sample of 22,000 people between the ages of 18 and 55 and 75 in 18 of the G20 countries with regard to age, gender, region and employment status. The overall percentage results are an arithmetic mean of the national results of the 18 countries surveyed (or 17 countries in the case of questions that were not asked in China). Switzerland is not a member of the G20.
