Scientific background to climate change seen as stronger than before

The Finns have a strong concesus that the effects of climate change are already visible in different parts of the world.

According to the report of the International Panel on Climate Change IPCC published last October, there is a broad consensus within the scientific community that global warming is mainly caused by human activity. The Climate Barometer shows, however, that only 58% of the Finns consider that the scientists are unanimous as to what causes the warming. Still, this share is much higher than in 2015, when just a third of the respondents considered that the scientific community was in full agreement as to the causes of global warming.

The consensus that the impacts of climate change are already visible in different parts of the world and that much more negative impacts are to be expected than positive ones has stayed strong.

The Climate Barometer survey on the Finnish citizens' views concerning climate issues was conducted by Kantar TNS, commissioned by the Steering Group for Central Government Climate Communications.

Further information:

Press release 2019-03-18: Climate Barometer 2019: Finns wish to have solutions to climate crisis at the heart of policy-making

The steering group has representatives from the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and Culture, Prime Minister's Office, Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finnish Environment Institute, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Motiva, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Academy of Finland, Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, Demos Helsinki, Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, and Business Finland.