Global commons g20 survey full report

THE
GLOBAL
COMMONS
SURVEY
Attitudes to planetary
stewardship and
transformation among
G20 countries

About this survey
This survey was commissioned by the Global Commons Alliance with support
from Earth4All and FAIRTRANS. The survey was conducted by Ipsos MORI.
The work was funded by: ClimateWorks Foundation, Gordon and Betty
Moore Foundation, Oak Foundation, MAVA, Mistra (for FAIRTRANS), Porticus,
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.
Authors:
Owen Gaffney, Global Commons Alliance,
Stockholm Resilience Centre, Potsdam Institute
for Climate Impact Research, Earth4All
Zoe Tcholak-Antitch, Global Commons Alliance
Sophia Boehm, GCA Systems Change Lab
Stephan Barthel, Stockholm Resilience Centre,
Gävle University & FAIRTRANS
Thomas Hahn, Stockholm Resilience Centre
& FAIRTRANS
Lisa Jacobson, Future Earth, GCA Earth
Commission
Kelly Levin, GCA Systems Change Lab
Diana Liverman, University of Arizona, GCA
Earth Commission
Per Espen Stoknes, Norwegian Business School
& Earth4All
Sophie Thompson, Ipsos MORI
Bridget Williams, Ipsos MORI
Survey development
Ipsos MORI team: Bridget Williams, Ruth
Townend & Sophie Thompson
Contributors:
Sophia Boehm, GCA Systems Change Lab
Stephan Barthel, Stockholm Resilience Centre,
Gävle University (FAIRTRANS)
Tara Burke, We Mean Business
Sandrine Dixson Declève, Club of Rome
Mike Fleisch, Global Commons Alliance
Owen Gaffney, Global Commons Alliance
Thomas Hahn, Stockholm Resilience Centre
(FAIRTRANS)
Lisa Jacobson, GCA Earth Commission
Tim Kelly, GCA EarthHQ
Kelly Levin, GCA Systems Change Lab
Diana Liverman, University of Arizona, GCA
Earth Commission
Kristin Rechberger, Dynamic Planet
Per Espen Stoknes, Norwegian Business School
Zoe Tcholak-Antitch, Global Commons Alliance
All data open access and available on request: owen.gaffney@su.se
Data tables available at www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk. Slide deck at globalcommonsalliance.org
Suggested citation: Gaffney, O., Tcholak-Antitch, Z., et al. Global Commons Survey: Attitudes to planetary stewardship
and transformation among G20 countries. Global Commons Alliance (2021)
For more information about the Global Commons Alliance, see: globalcommonsalliance.org
Published 17 August 2021 (v1.0)

Contents
●Forewords● 01
Executive summary 04
Introduction 06
Results 08
1). Shared values and identity 08
2). Awareness of the state of the global commons 10
3). Attitudes to planetary stewardship 13
4). Attitudes to transformation 15
5). COVID-19 is shaping attitudes to transformation 19
6). Attitudes to global citizenship 21
Country summary 24
Conclusion 31
Annex: survey questions and sampling methodology 33

Elizabeth Wathuti, environmentalist and
climate activist from Kenya, founder of Green
Generation Initiative and head of campaigns at
Wangari Maathai Foundation.
When I was younger, I witnessed deforestation
first hand. The wild forests I liked to play in were
cut down. The streams I used to drink from
became flooded with plastic waste. The natural
world my friends and I knew as children changed
before our eyes.
Humans have been destroying the priceless
global commons for decades. Stories of lost
forests and poisoned rivers are not unique to
my community, or even my country: they’re
something we all share.
I’m determined to do something to stop this
destruction, and I’m encouraged to know that
I am not alone. This survey shows the vast
majority of people in the world’s wealthiest
countries feel the same way I do – they are very
worried about the state of the planet and want
to protect it. They want to become planetary
stewards. This should be a wake-up call to
leaders everywhere.
My work helping children to fall in love
with nature so that they may learn to cherish
and protect it keeps me going every day. It’s
an uplifting feeling that I wish our world
leaders shared.
Instead, people in power seem to feel it is OK
to fell old trees or destroy natural ecosystems
for buildings or roads, or to dig up oil, so long
as they then plant new trees. But this approach
is not working, and the findings in this report
show that many people no longer support such
economic idiocy.
The more we interfere with nature, the more we
are suffering dire consequences, and the more
the people who have contributed the least to the
destruction feel the brunt of its great injustice:
our climate and ecological crisis.
Nature is hitting back, so it’s not surprising that
so many people now realise how close we are
coming to terrifying tipping points, or that they
want to do more to protect nature.
If we want to keep global warming within the
Paris Agreement target of 1.5ºC it won’t be
enough to reduce our emissions by half every
decade until we get to net zero. We also need
to regenerate nature, preserve every remaining
natural ecosystem on the planet and give more
space to nature. We need our leaders to really
understand this interconnection – between
climate and nature – and act accordingly on both
the climate and ecological crisis.
Thriving ecosystems are humanity’s life-support
system. They are not disposable. Nor are they
easily renewed. They’re essential for human
survival – and for our joy – and they must be left
intact: preserved and protected.
Today, children living where I grew up have
never known streams without plastic. They’ve
never played in an untouched forest. They want
to know: “Who did this?”.
Those who prioritise the destruction of
nature – often for supposed profit – may claim
to be trapped in “the system”, driven by
incentives outside of their control. But enough
is enough. The injustice has become too great
to endure any longer.
Forewords
The Global Commons Survey | Global Commons Alliance 1

We have to change the system. We have to
inform and support people in making that
change and help them see their part in a better
future. These findings show that people are
ready for that now.
I’m not the only one who refuses to leave rivers
of plastic sludge and concrete jungles to future
generations.
But we want help. We need leaders to act too. I
hope this report empowers leaders everywhere
to start now.
Owen Gaffney, Global Commons Alliance,
August 2021
When we sat down to design this survey we
wanted to capture a moment in time: a specific
moment in the Anthropocene. We are at the
start of a decisive decade. This is a planetary
emergency. We are in the midst of a pandemic.
The global commons are at breaking point.
Across the planet, are people concerned about
the risks? Do people want to become better
planetary stewards? Do people feel it is time to
adjust our economic priorities to support human
well-being and a resilient planet?
Spoiler alert: a definitive “Yes” to all of the above.
Several recent surveys have asked people about
their own personal behaviour and response to
the threat of climate change. These have shed
useful light on consumer attitudes, but few
surveys have explored the systemic nature of the
challenge, attitudes to transformation and views
on planetary stewardship. This survey attempts to
capture: long-term values (based on what values
people think it is important to teach children),
attitudes to global cooperation and attitudes to
a notion of global citizenship, for example.
Based on this, who, then, are the emerging
planetary stewards? They tend to be young
(under 45), female, well-educated and urban.
They tend to identify themselves as global
citizens rather than having a very strong
national identity. These are the people pushing
for change. They are the warriors fighting
hardest for our future.
Is our future nature positive and zero emissions?
Judging from the results of the survey, this
is the future people want. The vast majority
of adults in G20 countries want to become
better stewards of the planet. They want their
governments to become better planetary
stewards. They support the work of the United
Nations to improve stewardship of the global
commons. And they want governments to engage
them more in this long-term vision.
The vast majority of people in G20 countries
want the economic system in their countries to
adopt “Wellbeing economics” - an approach to
build greater social and natural capital rather
than a myopic focus on growth of GDP. And
the vast majority of people across the G20 see
that the benefits of action to protect the global
commons outweigh the costs.
However, despite the risk that over the next few
years hundreds of millions of people will face
severe water scarcity; despite the risk that more
people will experience heat and humidity that
today makes parts of the world uninhabitable;
and despite the evidence we are reaching mass
extinction rates for life on Earth, awareness of

the scale of the societal transformation needed
in the coming decade to stabilise the global
commons is worryingly low.
The majority of people in G20 countries are
aware that an energy transformation is needed in
the next decade, but awareness of a system-wide
transformation across all parts of the economy
is less developed. Awareness of the challenges
facing humanity tends to be lowest within the
wealthiest economies. This should ring alarm
bells. Perhaps people in these countries are more
insulated through global trade from the physical
reality of collapsing ecosystems and subsequent
impacts on societies.
Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic is a
transformative moment. It has changed
behaviours and may have even nudged values
and worldviews. The writer Arundhati Roy has
described the pandemic as a portal between
two worlds: before and after. The survey
results indicate the world agrees. Within G20
countries, at least, people feel the pandemic is a
transformative moment: there is no going back. It
is a moment to build societies resilient to shock,
to bring us back from the brink.
Finally, finally, I would like to thank the Ipsos
MORI team, particularly Bridget Williams, Ruth
Townend and Sophie Thompson, for their
outstanding work on this project.

Executive summary
Is the world aware of the risks to our
global commons – life on Earth, fresh
air and climate, oceans, forests, ice
sheets, freshwater, and other processes
that keep Earth stable and resilient?
Yes.
Among G20 countries, 73% of people believe
Earth is close to “tipping points” because of
human action. People in Indonesia (86%),
Turkey (85%), Brazil (83%), Mexico (78%) and
South Africa (76%) have a significantly higher
awareness of the risk than people in the United
States (60%), Japan (63%), Great Britain (65%)
and Australia (66%).
Across the G20, 58% of people are extremely
worried or very worried about the state of the
global commons. Concern is highest in Turkey
(79%), Mexico (77%), Brazil (74%), and India (70%).
Concern is lowest in Saudi Arabia (26%), Japan
(44%), United States (45%), and Australia (46%).
Concern about the state of the global commons
today is at its highest level among:

ƒ Women (62%)

ƒ Aged 25-34 (60%)

ƒ Educated to degree level or higher (61%)

ƒ Earn £45k+ (60%).

ƒ Feel like a global citizen (68%).

ƒ Believe the benefits of protecting nature
outweigh the costs (67%).

ƒ Believe there is scientific consensus that the
world needs widespread transformation in the
next decade (83%)
Do people want to become better
planetary stewards? Are people willing
to do more to protect nature, the
climate and all global commons?
Yes. The vast majority of people (83%) across
the G20 want to do more to protect and restore
nature in future.
People in emerging economies indicate greater
willingness to do more to protect nature than
those in advanced economies: Indonesia (95%),
South Africa (94%), China (93%), Mexico (93%),
and Brazil (91%), compared with Japan (61%),
Germany (70%), the United States (74%) and
Great Britain (77%).
Are people aware of the scale of
transformation required in the next
decade to protect the climate and
other global commons?
No. While 59% of people in G20 countries
acknowledge that there is scientific consensus
that rapid energy transition is needed in the next
decade, just 8% of people are aware of consensus
on the need for sweeping societal changes over
that period to safeguard the global commons.
However, 28% of people are aware that scientists
think that significant change is needed.
Do people want to transform economic
systems to prioritise well-being and the
global commons over a singular focus
on economic growth?
Yes. Among G20 countries, 74% of people
support the idea that their country’s economic
priorities move beyond profit and increasing
wealth and focuses more on human well-
being and ecological protection. This view is
consistently high among all G20 countries. It
is particularly high in Indonesia (86%), Turkey
(85%) and Russia (84%), but even the lowest-
scoring countries score highly: United States
(68%), Great Britain (69%), and Canada (69%).
Just 25% of people think governments should
prioritise maximising jobs and profits even if this
means harming nature. The proportion holding
this view was consistently low across all G20
countries, apart from India where 50% of people
agree with the statement that governments
should prioritise jobs and profits.

Do people feel the benefits of action
to protect the global commons outweigh
the costs?
Yes: 69% of people believe the benefits of
action to protect the global commons outweigh
the costs. This view is highest in Brazil (87%),
Indonesia (85%) and China (82%). It is lowest
in France (44%), Japan (53%) and the United
States (60%).
Is the pandemic a transformative moment
for humanity?
Yes. Across the G20, three quarters (75%) of
people agree that the pandemic has shown that
it is possible for people to transform behaviour
very rapidly; 71% of people agree the pandemic
recovery is a unique moment to build societies
more resilient to future shocks. Most people
agree that despite the pandemic, protecting
nature and the climate is still a priority. Just 26%
of people felt countries “have enough to worry
about”. India, though, stands out with 56% of
people feeling that the COVID-19 recovery means
nature is a much lower priority.
What are the barriers to action?
People feel that the barriers to action to them
personally becoming better planetary stewards
are generally financial, lack of knowledge and
lack of facilities. Affordability is the number
one barrier.
What do the results from the Global
Commons Survey mean for policymakers?
People want to be stewards of this planet we call
home. It’s time to give them the tools to do so.
The results from this survey show overwhelming
support from the general public for policymakers
to deliver the changes necessary for building
a nature-positive, zero emissions and equitable
future for all.
The findings should provide leaders with the
confidence to move faster to implement policies
to regenerate our global commons. They should
also encourage governments and others to
embark on high-profile, high-impact public
campaigns to help citizens better understand:
1). how essential the global commons are to
healthy life and prosperous economies;
2). the speed and scale of transformation
required. This is beyond an energy transition:
it’s an everything transition; and
3). the benefits the new policies will bring
to everyday life: we will live in cities with
low pollution; we will eat healthier diets;
our economies won’t run out of essential
materials because everything recirculates
and regenerates.

Introduction
A planetary emergency
The global commons – the natural resources we
all share and use – are reaching a breaking point.
In the northern summer of 2021, heatwaves
and floods hit societies across the northern
hemisphere so hard that scientists expressed
alarm at their ferocity, scale and speed. Deathly
heatwaves in western Canada and the United
States and floods in China and Europe, for
example, are already tracking worst-case
scenarios predicted by complex climate models
for later this century. The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change’s most recent report
shows how close we are to breaching irreversible
tipping points that represent existential threats
to communities, cities and even some societies.
This, therefore, is the decade in which
substantive policy changes must be forthcoming
and the moment to act is now. Policy changes
for this decade must simultaneously facilitate a
rapid reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions
(the net-zero economy by mid-century at the
very latest) and the protection, restoration and
regeneration of the natural world (the “nature
positive“ imperative).
The Global Commons Alliance (with partners
Earth4All and FAIRTRANS) commissioned
this survey to understand attitudes to the
state of the global commons and attitudes to
transformation among adults across the G20. Are
people concerned about the state of the global
commons today? Are they worried about the
state in which we leave the global commons to
our children and future generations? Are people
aware that we are approaching tipping points on
Earth? To what extent are people aware of the
social and economic transformations needed
within the next decade or so to reduce risks to
the global commons?
In the survey, the global commons are defined
to include life on Earth, fresh air and climate,
oceans, forests, ice sheets, freshwater, and other
processes that keep Earth stable and resilient.
For simplicity we use the terms “nature” and
“global commons” interchangeably.
The survey was carried out by Ipsos MORI in
April and May 2021 – before the release of the
IPCC’s sixth assessment report. It was conducted
across G20 countries with 19,735 people surveyed
(plus an additional survey in Sweden published
separately). Interviews were conducted online.
In each country, the data is weighted to be
representative of the national population. The
survey does not include weighting by population
size due to large differences in population across
the G20 countries. Where results do not sum
to 100, this may be due to computer rounding,
multiple responses or the exclusion of ‘Don’t
know’ categories.

A note on planetary stewardship
A foundation for the survey design was the work
of Elinor Ostrom and colleagues. Ostrom was
awarded the Nobel Prize in economic sciences
(formally called the Sveriges Riksbank Prize
in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred
Nobel) in 2009 for her work to understand how
people collectively manage common resources
sustainably. Ostrom and colleagues developed
principles that, if met, increase the likelihood
of effective stewardship of common resources.
These principles include:
1). People who are using the resources need
well-defined boundaries.
2). Users need accurate information of the state
of the resource and need to share a similar
view of how the resource operates and how
their actions affect it.
3). Users need to be persuaded that the benefits
of collective responsibility outweigh the costs.
4). High levels of trust among users are
needed to reduce costs of sanctioning and
monitoring.
At a global level we are interested in whether
planetary stewardship is emerging. To what
extent are these principles being met? To what
extent do people feel connected to one another
globally and trust one another to protect the
global commons? Are the global commons
reflected in our long-term values – measured
by the values we feel important to pass on
to our children? To this end, some questions
focused on: knowledge of the state of the
global commons, shared identity and values,
understanding the challenges of protecting
and restoring nature and attitudes towards
responsibility for the global commons. Some
questions focused on attitudes relating to
transformation. And some questions focused on
how the COVID-19 pandemic – a global shock –
has changed attitudes to transformation. In this
report we also include results from other recent
surveys to provide a more complete picture of
attitudes.
G20 countries:
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China,
France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Indonesia,
Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South
Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United States,
(plus the European Union).
G20 Countries

Results
1). Shared values and identity
How important is it to teach our children about
protection of the global commons including
climate? We asked people to identify up to five
most important values from a list of 12 including
“protection of nature and climate”, “tolerance
and respect for others”, “religious faith”,
“independence”, “hard work” and “obedience”*1

ƒ About one-third (34%) of people believe it is
important to teach children to protect the
global commons including climate.

ƒ Protection of the global commons did not
rank in the top three values across G20
countries. It ranked fourth in Argentina,
France, Germany, India, Italy and Mexico.
1
This question was taken from a question used in the World Values Survey and extended to include nature and climate.
Base: 19,735 online adults across 19 G20 countries. Source: Global Commons Alliance / Ipsos MORI

How important is global cooperation and
protecting the global commons to people?

ƒ 66% of people across G20 countries support
global cooperation to solve global challenges.
Support is highest in emerging economies:
China (81%), Brazil (77%), Turkey (76%), India
(75%), South Africa (75%), and Indonesia (72%).
Support is lowest in France (50%), Italy (53%)
and Japan (54%).

ƒ 64% of people think international
organisations like the UN should be
given more power to protect climate and
nature. This view is particularly high in India
(76%), China (75%) and Brazil (71%). But also
quite high in the lowest-scoring countries:
United States (49%), Saudi Arabia (50%) and
Canada (52%).
International organisations
like the UN should be given
more power to protect and
restore nature at a global level

2). Awareness of the state of the global commons
We tested people’s awareness of the state of the
global commons. Are people concerned about
the current state of nature and climate, and the
future state?

ƒ 58% of people are extremely worried or
very worried about the state of the global
commons, which we all need to survive and
flourish. These include the climate, the ocean
and freshwater, the air we breathe, plants and
animals, forests and wetlands, the Arctic and
Antarctica. Concern is highest in Turkey (79%),
Mexico (77%), Brazil (74%), and India (70%).
Concern is lowest in Saudi Arabia (26%), Japan
(44%), United States (45%), and Australia (46%).

ƒ Those with the highest levels of concern
about the state of the global commons today
tend to:
‡
Be women (62%)
‡
Be aged 25-34 (60%)
‡
Be educated to degree level or higher (61%)
‡
Earn £45k+ (60%)
‡
Identify more strongly as global citizens
rather than national citizens (68%).
‡
Believe the benefits of protecting nature
outweigh the costs (67%)
‡
Agree there is a scientific consensus that
change in the next decade should be
transformative, that is across many systems
– food, energy, manufacturing, etc. (83%).
‡
Live in urban areas (59%).

ƒ 73% of people believe Earth is close to
“tipping points” because of human action.
People in Indonesia (86%), Turkey (85%),
Brazil (83%), Mexico (78%) and South Africa
(76%) have a significantly higher awareness
of the risk than people in the United States
(60%), Japan (63%), Great Britain (65%) and
Australia (66%).

ƒ 59% of people agree nature is already too
damaged to continue meeting humans’
needs in the long-term. Agreement is high
among people in Turkey (81%), Brazil (75%),
and India (75%), and low in the United States
(34%), Canada (35%), Great Britain (42%),
and Australia (43%).

Ranked: Because of human activities, the Earth is close to ‘tipping points’ in nature where climate
or nature may change suddenly, or may be more difficult to stabilize in future
Ranked: Nature can meet the needs of humans right now
Ranked: If people carry on as we are, nature will still be able to meet the needs of humans in the future

Ranked: Nature is already too damaged to continue meeting humans’ needs in the long-term
Agreement that the benefits of protecting nature outweigh the costs is lower in developed countries like France,
Japan, Germany and the United States. Developed regions – North America, Europe and Japan – also have low trust
that other people will use the global commons fairly, perhaps as these cultures tend to be more individualistic.

3). Attitudes to planetary stewardship
Do people want to do more to protect the
global commons? Do people support greater
collaboration internationally? The answer to
these questions is “Yes”. But the picture is mixed.

ƒ The vast majority of people across the G20
want to do more to protect and restore nature
in future (83%). Barriers to action at present
are generally financial, lack of knowledge and
lack of facilities.

ƒ People in emerging economies indicate
greater willingness to do more to protect
nature than those in advanced economies:
Indonesia (95%), South Africa (94%), China
(93%), Mexico (93%), and Brazil (91%),
compared with Japan (61%), Germany (70%)
and the United States (74%).

ƒ 64% of people think international oganisations
like the United Nations should be given more
power to protect climate and nature. This
view is particularly high in India (76%), China
(75%) and Brazil (71%). The proportion holding
this view is also high in the lowest scoring
countries: United States (49%), Saudi Arabia
(50%) and Canada (52%).

ƒ Just 24% of people believe that government
action now to protect nature and climate
will benefit them in standard election cycles
(3-5 years) (i.e. disagreed that government
action will not benefit people in their country
in this time period).

ƒ When presented with a list and asked to
choose which five were the most important
to teach children, just one third across G20
countries believe it is important to teach
children to protect nature. Countries such as
Argentina, India, Mexico, France, Germany
and Italy rank teaching about protection
of nature higher than other nations. But
teaching children about nature is not in any
country’s top three values. People who see
themselves as global citizens rank teaching
children about nature higher than those
whose national identity is stronger (41%
compared with 29%).

ƒ People are divided on whether people and
nature are in opposition, or what is good for
people is bad for nature. 54% of people agree
what is good for people is often bad for nature.
This view is particularly pronounced in Russia
(74%), Brazil (66%), and Indonesia (65%).

ƒ 71% of people agree that when setting
targets to protect nature and the climate,
these targets should be based on scientific
knowledge.

ƒ 34% of people would prefer to buy
products and services that are good for the
environment and based on science.
Willingness to do more to protect nature tends to be higher in the global south. It is lower in developed countries,
with 1 in 10 across Europe, North America and Japan saying they do not want to do more to protect nature.

While financial constraints remain a top barrier across many countries, lack of facilities and not currently prioritising
action are also notable barriers to those who would like to do more to protect and restore nature in future.
There are indications of support for science based targets, but division on how far their uptake would affect their
purchasing choice. This may be as this is a newer issue. People are also more attracted to cities that protect nature.

4). Attitudes to transformation
The next 10 years have been described as a
“decisive decade” for humanity.
To reduce risk of further large-scale
destabilisation of the climate and protect all
global commons, emissions of carbon dioxide
need to fall 50% by 2030 and land use needs
to change from being a source of emissions
to a sink of emissions, according to the most
plausible emissions scenarios to limit global
average surface temperature to 1.5°C above pre-
industrial levels. This will require unprecedented
transformations of all aspects of the economy:
energy systems, food systems, manufacturing,
transport and buildings. Economic solutions will
include pricing goods and services to account
for their environmental costs. Broader societal
solutions, for example reducing economic
inequality, are also important for driving the
scale of transformation required. Very high
levels of economic inequality tend to have a
destabilizing effect on societies by reducing
trust and making it difficult for societies to act
collectively to make long-term decisions.
We tested views on transformation. Are people
aware of the scientific consensus that major
transformational change is required in the next
ten years? Do people acknowledge that the
benefits outweigh the costs of action? Are people
interested in adopting “well-being economies”
that build social and natural capital?

ƒ 59% of people know that there is scientific
consensus of a need for rapid energy
transition in the next decade.

ƒ 41% of people are aware that scientists agree
major transformation of the food system is
required including changing diets. Awareness
is lowest in Indonesia (26%), Japan (30%) and
Mexico (30%).

ƒ Just 8% are aware of the scientific consensus
on a need for sweeping societal changes
in the next decade to safeguard the global
commons. However, overall 28% of people
are aware that scientists agree that significant
change is needed.

ƒ 69% of people believe the benefits of action
to protect the global commons outweigh the
costs. This view is highest in Brazil (87%),
Indonesia (85%) and China (82%). It is lowest
in France (44%), Japan (53%) and the United
States (60%).

These results complement recent Ipsos MORI
surveys on attitudes to personal behavioural
change in 2021. Among those surveyed across
30 markets, almost half (48%) say they would
be prepared to cycle and walk more instead of
driving and 45% of people would be prepared to
reduce flying. 43% of people surveyed are likely
to reduce meat consumption and 51% of people
surveyed are likely to do more to save electricity
and water. Even in the United States and Brazil
a significant percentage of people are willing to
make changes to their lifestyles in the next 12
months. In the United States, 37% of people say
they are likely to cut down on flying and driving,
and 31% say they are likely to cut down on meat
consumption. In Brazil the likelihood is 43% for
driving, 44% for flying and 40% for eating less
meat. Furthermore, 65% of people across the 30
markets agreed that if their government does
not act now to combat climate change then
it will be failing the people of their country.
Most people are aware of the scientific consensus of the need for change in 1-3 of the areas presented.
Only around a quarter (28%) indicate an awareness of the consensus on a need for greater transformation.
Just 8% indicate awareness of the consensus on major economic and social transformation.
Among those who want to do more in future, financial constraints, lack of knowledge and lack of facilities
tend to be the greatest barriers to taking action to protect and restore nature at present.

Economic transformation – beyond the growth paradigm
We tested views of people’s satisfaction with
the current economic systems, which tend
to focus on the pursuit of economic growth.
Economic growth often comes at the expense
of human well-being and/or the environment
among G20 countries. Are people comfortable
with this approach or should governments
change their economic goals and adopt a “well-
being” approach that focuses on growth of
social and natural capital?

ƒ 74% of people support the notion that
countries move beyond GDP and profit and
focus more on human health and well-being
and ecological protection, that is, building
social and natural capital. This view is
consistently high among all G20 countries. It
is particularly high in Indonesia (86%), Turkey
(85%) and Russia (84%), but even the lowest-
scoring countries score highly: United States
(68%), Great Britain (69%), and Canada (69%).
Just 25% of people think governments should
prioritise maximising jobs and profits even if
this means harming nature. This is consistent
across all G20 countries, apart from India where
50% of people agree with the statement that
governments should prioritise jobs and profits.
STATEMENT: the way [country]’s economy works should prioritise the health and wellbeing of
people and nature rather than focusing solely on profit and increasing wealth in [country]
STATEMENT: [country]’s government should prioritise jobs and business profits
in existing industries, even if this means some harm to nature

Media and transformation

ƒ 43% of people in G20 countries think the
media communicates about nature and
climate in a way that helps them understand
the issues. The aggregate figure hides a very
large range of views across the G20. The
sentiment is highest in China where 74%
of people feel media reporting helps them
understand the issues. The lowest scores are
found in Japan (25%), Australia and France
(each 32%), Turkey (33%), Argentina (34%) and
the United States (35%).
Supporting this result, 46% of people in G20
countries feel the media leaves them unclear what
they can do to support transformation.
There is clearly unmet demand for information
to enable citizens to take action. Agreement that
the media leaves them unclear about what action
they can take is highest among the young (aged
under 35), those who feel more like global citizens
and those who hold more ‘pro-environmental’
attitudes i.e. those who are concerned about the
state of nature both today and in future, and those
who believe the benefits of protecting nature
outweigh the costs and those who are aware of a
need for transformation.
In the main, the media in [country] report on issues
of nature and climate change in ways that leave
me unclear about what I can do to help
In the main, the media in [country] report on
issues of nature and climate change in ways
that help me to understand these issues
People in India are most likely to feel the media leaves them unclear on how to take action, although a similar proportion
felt it helped them to understand environmental issues. China showed the highest support for media reporting.

5). COVID-19 is shaping attitudes to transformation
We tested views on whether the pandemic
has changed people’s awareness of how
interconnected societies have become and how
the health of societies is related to the health
of nature. We also tested awareness of how fast
societies can transform when required.

ƒ 69% of people say they are more aware of
how interconnected societies are because
of the COVID-19 crisis. This is particularly
pronounced in Turkey (85%), South Africa
(82%), China (81%), and Saudi Arabia (80%).

ƒ 75% of people agree that the pandemic
has shown that it is possible for people to
transform behaviour very rapidly.

ƒ 71% of people agree the pandemic recovery
is a unique moment to build societies more
resilient to future shocks.

ƒ Most people agree that despite the pandemic,
protecting nature and the climate is still a
priority. Just 26% of people felt countries
“have enough to worry about”. India, though,
stands out with 56% of people feeling that the
COVID-19 recovery means nature is a much
lower priority.
The COVID-19 pandemic is largely seen as a positive event for enabling future change,
having shown what is possible in response to a global emergency.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown
how quickly people can change
their behaviour in a crisis
[Country]’s government should
communicate directly with people
about restoring nature, in a way similar
to how they have communicated
about the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic is a unique
moment to transform societies
to be able to better deal with
‘shocks’ (such as pandemics and
other extreme events) in future

The COVID-19 pandemic has made me more aware of
how connected people are to others across the world
People have enough to worry about with COVID-19 right
now, this is not the time to be talking about restoring nature
COVID-19 created awareness of how connected we are, although less so in France, the United
States, Russia and Japan. In India – which has recently struggled with another wave – over
half say COVID-19 is too serious a problem to talk about protecting nature.

6). Attitudes to global citizenship
We tested views on global citizenship versus
national citizenship by asking participants where
they fall on a scale between 1 and 10, with one
end of the spectrum representing stronger
feelings of national identity and the other
representing stronger feelings of global identity.
We wanted to test the links between feelings
towards global citizenship and attitudes to
planetary stewardship.

ƒ 1 in 5 people surveyed have an affinity with
global citizenship. But views about being
a global citizen are mixed: an affinity with
global citizenship is highest in countries in
the global south.

ƒ National identity (as opposed to global
identity) was strongest in China (54%), South
Korea (51%), Canada (50%), Russia (49%) and
the United States (45%).

ƒ People who feel most like global citizens tend
to be more engaged in issues related to the
global commons. They are more likely to:
‡
worry about the state of the global
commons today and in the future. Of
those who feel like global citizens, 68% are
concerned about the state of nature today
and 70% about the state in which we will
leave nature for future generations. This is
compared with 54% and 57% respectively
among those who feel closer to their
national identity.
‡
have greater trust in others to act to
protect the global commons. 44% of those
who feel like global citizens agreed this
this statement, compared with 36% among
those who feel like national citizens.
‡
believe the benefits of action to protect the
global commons outweigh the costs. This
reaches 75% among those who feel like
global citizens compared with 67% among
those who feel like national citizens, a
8-point difference.
‡
acknowledge Earth is approaching tipping
points. There is a 10-point difference
between those who feel more like global
citizens and those who have a stronger
national identity, with agreement at 80%
among the former and 70% among the latter.
‡
support greater international cooperation
to solve global commons challenges. 4 in 5
(81%) of those who feel like global citizens
support this view. This is 19 points higher
than those who feel like national citizens,
although support is still strong amongst
this group at 62%.
‡
be aware of the scientific consensus on the
need for sweeping transformations needed
across all society is necessary to protect
the global commons. A third (33%)
of those who feel like global citizens are
aware of the need for significant
transformation (in 4-7 areas presented)
compared to 26% of those who feel like
national citizens, a 7-point difference.
Attitudes to global citizenship are relevant to attitudes towards becoming more effective stewards of the planet.
Base: 19,735 online adults across 19 G20 countries: all who identify as national citizens (7,089), all who identify as global citizens (4,085). Source: Global Commons Alliance / Ipsos MORI

Those who feel like global citizens are more worried about the state of nature than those who feel like national citizens.
Those who feel more like global citizens tend to be more concerned about nature’s ability
to meet our needs in future and being close to earth’s tipping points.
Those who feel like global citizens are more aware of the scientific consensus on the need for major transformation across the
areas presented. But they are just as aware as national citizensof the consensus on the need for change in our energy systems.
About the state of
nature today
About the state in which
we will leave nature for
future generations

On intergenerational values, across the G20 both groups believe the same top 3 values are important
to teach children. But those who feel like global citizens rank protection of nature 4th.
While both groups support cooperation to tackle global challenges, those
who feel like global citizens exhibit higher support for this.
Those who feel like global citizens are more aware of the scientific consensus on a need for
widespread major transformation than those who feel like national citizens.

Country summary
ARGENTINA
77% of people in Argentina recognise that Earth
is close to tipping points. 68% are worried about
the state of nature today. 41% feel that if we
continue as we are, nature will be able to meet
human needs in the future.
89% of people in Argentina are willing to do more
to protect nature and the climate. 73% believe
the benefits of protecting nature outweigh the
costs. 44% say affordability is the biggest barrier
to action. Just 4% of people in Argentina are aware
of the scale of the transformation required in the
next decade to protect the global commons.
73% of people in Argentina support a move
towards a well-being economy that prioritises
human well-being and sustainable use of natural
resources, rather than a singular focus on
economic growth. 59% feel the UN should be
given more power to protect the global commons.
78% of people in Argentina believe the COVID-19
pandemic is a unique moment to transform
societies to become more resilient to shocks. 71%
say the pandemic has made them more aware of
how connected people are across the world.
34% of people in Argentina feel the media report
on issues related to the global commons in a way
that helps them understand the issues.
AUSTRALIA
66% of people in Australia recognise that Earth
76% of people in Australia are willing to do more
to action. Just 12% of people in Australia are aware
71% of people in Australia support a move towards
a well-being economy that prioritises human well-
being and sustainable use of natural resources,
rather than a singular focus on economic growth.
54% feel the UN should be given more power to
protect the global commons.
70% of people in Australia believe the COVID-19
32% of people in Australia feel the media report
BRAZIL
83% of people in Brazil recognise that Earth is
close to tipping points. 74% are worried about
91% of people in Brazil are willing to do more
to action. Just 5% of people in Brazil are aware of
the scale of the transformation required in the
78% of people in Brazil support a move towards a
well-being economy that prioritises human well-
71% feel the UN should be given more power
to protect the global commons.

78% of people in Brazil believe the COVID-19
45% of people in Brazil feel the media report on
issues related to the global commons in a way
CANADA
66% of people in Canada recognise that Earth is
79% of people in Canada are willing to do more
to action. Just 13% of people in Canada are aware
69% of people in Canada support a move towards
73% of people in Canada believe the COVID-19
35% of people in Canada feel the media report
CHINA
74% of people in China recognise that Earth is
93% of the Chinese public are willing to do more
to action. Just 8% of the Chinese public are aware
70% of people in China support a move towards a
76% of the Chinese public believe the COVID-19
74% of people in China feel the media report on
FRANCE
72% of people in France recognise that Earth is
75% of the French public are willing to do more
to action. Just 8% of the French public are aware

75% of people in France support a move towards a
69% of the French public believe the COVID-19
32% of people in France feel the media report on
GERMANY
67% of people in Germany recognise that Earth
70% of people in Germany are willing to do more
to action. Just 8% of Germans are aware of the
scale of the transformation required in the next
decade to protect the global commons.
73% of the German public support a move
57% of people in Germany believe the COVID-19
50% of the German public feel the media report
GREAT BRITAIN
65% of the people of Great Britain recognise that
Earth is close to tipping points. 46% are worried
about the state of nature today. 23% feel that
if we continue as we are, nature will be able to
meet human needs in the future.
77% of the British public are willing to do more
to action. Just 13% of the British public are aware
69% of people in Great Britain support a move
70% of the British public believe the COVID-19
40% of the British public feel the media report
INDIA
77% of the Indian public recognise that Earth is
90% of people in India are willing to do more
to action. Just 8% of people in India are aware of
the scale of the transformation required in the

77% of people in India support a move towards a
79% of people in India believe the COVID-19
60% of people in India feel the media report on
INDONESIA
86% of people in Indonesia recognise that Earth
95% of people in Indonesia are willing to do more
to action. Just 7% of people in Indonesia are aware
86% of people in Indonesia support a move
76% of people in Indonesia believe the COVID-19
49% of people in Indonesia feel the media report
ITALY
79% of people in Italy recognise that Earth is
86% of people in Italy are willing to do more to
protect nature and the climate. 67% believe the
benefits of protecting nature outweigh the costs.
33% say affordability is the biggest barrier to
action. Just 6% of people in Italy are aware of the
scale of the transformation required in the next
decade to protect the global commons.
77% of people in Italy support a move towards a
71% of people in Italy believe the COVID-19
40% of people in Italy feel the media report on
JAPAN
63% of the Japanese public recognise that Earth
61% of the Japanese public are willing to do more
to action. Just 5% of the Japanese public are aware

61% of the Japanese public support a move
58% of the Japanese public believe the COVID-19
25% of the Japanese public feel the media report
MEXICO
78% of people in Mexico recognise that Earth is
93% of people in Mexico are willing to do more
to action. Just 3% of people in Mexico are aware
79% of people in Mexico support a move towards
77% of people in Mexico believe the COVID-19
50% of people in Mexico feel the media report
RUSSIA
75% of people in Russia recognise that Earth is
74% of people in Russia are willing to do more
to action. Just 4% of people in Russia are aware
84% of people in Russia support a move towards a
56% of people in Russia believe the COVID-19
39% of people in Russia feel the media report on
SAUDI ARABIA
72% of people in Saudi Arabia recognise that
85% of people in Saudi Arabia are willing to
do more to protect nature and the climate.
68% believe the benefits of protecting nature
outweigh the costs. 44% say affordability is
the biggest barrier to action. Just 3% of people
in Saudi Arabia are aware of the scale of the
transformation required in the next decade to

59% of people in Saudi Arabia support a move
81% of people in Saudi Arabia believe the
COVID-19 pandemic is a unique moment to
transform societies to become more resilient to
shocks. 80% say the pandemic has made them
more aware of how connected people are across
the world.
53% of people in Saudi Arabia feel the media
report on issues related to the global commons
in a way that helps them understand the issues.
SOUTH AFRICA
76% of people in South Africa recognise that
94% of people in South Africa are willing to
in South Africa are aware of the scale of the
78% of people in South Africa support a move
81% of people in South Africa believe the
the world.
47% of people in South Africa feel the media
SOUTH KOREA
73% of people in South Korea recognise that
87% of people in South Korea are willing to
in South Korea are aware of the scale of the
71% of people in South Korea support a move
68% of people in South Korea believe the
the world.
52% of people in South Korea feel the media
TURKEY
85% of the Turkish public recognise that Earth

89% of the Turkish public are willing to do more
to action. Just 15% of the Turkish public are aware
85% of the Turkish public support a move towards
74% of the Turkish public believe the COVID-19
33% of the Turkish public feel the media report
UNITED STATES
60% of people in the United States recognise
that Earth is close to tipping points. 45% are
worried about the state of nature today. 29% feel
that if we continue as we are, nature will be able
to meet human needs in the future.
74% of people in the United States are willing
to do more to protect nature and the climate.
outweigh the costs. 35% say affordability is the
biggest barrier to action. Just 10% of people in
the United States are aware of the scale of the
68% of people in the United States support
a move towards a well-being economy that
prioritises human well-being and sustainable use
of natural resources, rather than a singular focus
on economic growth. 49% feel the UN should be
64% of people in the United States believe the
the world.
35% of people in the United States feel the media

Where next? What do the findings tell us? The
vast majority of people understand the risks and
want to do more.

ƒ Concern about the state of the global
commons and willingness to act to protect
and restore nature is apparent across the
G20. What remains are to tackle the barriers
to action that people perceive as stopping
them from acting now, and to raise awareness
of the immediacy of this issue.

ƒ There is awareness of the consensus on
the need for social transformation, but this
awareness is somewhat limited in scope.
People want and need to know more about
the extent of social transformations required
over the next 10 years, and what this will
mean to them and their country.

ƒ Awareness of the risks facing societies and
willingness to act to protect the global
commons is highest among these groups:
women, younger people, degree-educated,
urban, those in emerging economies and those
who view themselves more as global citizens.

ƒ Awareness and willingness to act is low
among men, older people, people in rural
areas, people holding more nationalistic
identities and those in wealthy nations.

ƒ There is strong support for international
cooperation when faced with global challenges,
such as protecting and restoring nature.

ƒ There is broad acknowledgement that the
task will be difficult and will take time, and
support for a mix of local and global action to
achieve these aims.

ƒ Despite the hardship it has caused, the
COVID-19 pandemic is also seen as presenting
a key opportunity for change that should be
harnessed. People have now seen the scale
of action that can be taken across economies
in a time of crisis and feel that COVID-19
has created a unique moment to transform
societies to better deal with ‘shocks’ in future.

ƒ However, regarding long-term values
(measured by what people think is important
to teach children,) protection of climate and
nature does not score particularly highly. It will
be useful to track how this changes over time.
Conditions for planetary stewardship
Revisiting the work of Nobel laureate Elinor
Ostrom mentioned in the introduction,
stewardship of common resources is more likely
to emerge if certain principles are in place. These
include four principles explored to a limited
extent in this survey:
1). People who are using natural resources need
well-defined boundaries and valid indicators
of resource conditions. The survey results
indicate that most people in G20 countries
(73%) are aware Earth has tipping points
and that we are coming dangerously close
to these tipping points as a result of human
activity. They are also aware that most of the
solutions to protect societies from exceeding
planetary boundaries are known.
2). Users need accurate information of the
state of the resource and need to share a
similar view of how the resource operates
and how their actions affect it. The survey
results indicate that most people share
an accurate view of the state of the global
commons: human actions are causing severe
degradation at a global scale.
3). Users need to be persuaded that the benefits
of collective responsibility outweigh the
costs. The survey results indicate that most
people see that the benefits of collective
action outweigh the costs of action.
4). High levels of trust are needed to reduce
costs of sanctioning and monitoring. The
survey results indicate that trust levels are
low. Among G20 countries, people tend not to
believe others can be trusted to act to protect
the commons. Engendering greater trust, for
example, through reducing inequality, may
reduce the costs of sanctioning.
Conclusion

Final remarks
All surveys have limitations and care must be taken in how we interpret
data from any global survey of the general public. More work is needed
to understand people’s motivations and biases. The Global Commons
Alliance and FAIRTRANS are planning follow-up surveys for more
detailed analysis of people’s attitudes to transformation.
32
Global Commons Survey | Global Commons Alliance

Survey questions
SAMPLE: Survey of approx. 1000, adults aged 16-75 in each G20 country. Quotas on gender, age and
region. Quotas on working status in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa and South Korea.
ASK ALL
D1. How would you categorise the area in
which you live?
Please select one answer
1). Urban area (inner city / town)
2).
Semi-urban area (outskirts of a city /
suburban area / small town)
3). Rural area (areas other than towns or cities,
such as the countryside, villages or farms)
[Explanatory framing sentences]
Shared identity
ASK ALL
Q1. Thinking about the following statements,
where would you place yourself on the scales
below? Please place yourself on the scale,
from 1 to 10, or you may choose any number in
between or answer don’t know.
[Use horizontal slider – scale 1-10. Show
statements at either side of the scale. Reverse
statements and scales for half of participants]
a). I support nations across the world working
together to solve global challenges
[Label ends ‘agree strongly’ TO ‘disagree
strongly’]
998). Don’t know
b). I feel [nationality] not a global citizen TO I
feel like a global citizen, not [nationality]
998). Don’t know
Values
ASK ALL
Q2. Here is a list of qualities that children can
be encouraged to learn at home. Which, if any,
do you consider to be especially important?
Please choose up to five.
[Code up to five, rotate codes 1 to 12. Anchor 997
to 999]
1). Good manners
2). Independence
3). Hard work
4). Feeling of responsibility
5). Imagination
6). Tolerance and respect for other people
7). Thrift, saving money and things
8). Determination, perseverance
9). Religious faith
10). Not being selfish (unselfishness)
11). Obedience
12). Protection of nature including climate
997). None of these
998). Don’t know
999). Prefer not to say
Understanding of the challenges
ASK ALL
Q3. How worried, if at all, are you about the
following nowadays?
[Rows, rotate]
1). The state of nature today (by ‘nature’
we mean the planet’s resources, which
Annex

humans all need to survive and flourish.
These include the climate, the ocean and
freshwater, the air we breathe, plants and
animals, forests and wetlands, the Arctic
and Antarctica)
2). The state in which we will leave nature for
future generations (by ‘nature’ we mean the
planet’s resources, which humans all need
to survive and flourish. These include the
climate, the ocean and freshwater, the air
we breathe, plants and animals, forests and
wetlands, the Arctic and Antarctica)
[Single code. Forward and reverse scale codes
1-5, anchor 998]
1). Not at all worried
2). Not very worried
3). Somewhat worried
4). Very worried
5). Extremely worried
998). Don’t know
ASK ALL
Q4. To what extent, if at all, do you agree or
disagree with the following statements about
nature and human needs?
To remind you, ‘nature’ includes the planet’s
resources, which we all need. These include
the climate, the ocean and freshwater, the air
we breathe, plants and animals, forests and
wetlands, the Arctic and Antarctica.
Nature helps meet human needs such as clean
air to breathe, fresh water to drink, land to grow
food. Nature also includes a stable climate that
supports farming and human safety. A stable
climate and environment reduces risks from
extreme events such as flooding, drought and
heatwaves.
[Progressive grid, randomise rows, single code
per row, forward and reverse scale codes 1-5,
anchor 998]
[Rows]
1). Nature can meet the needs of humans
right now
2). If people carry on as we are, nature will still
be able to meet the needs of humans in the
future
3). Nature is already too damaged to continue
meeting humans’ needs in the long term
4). Other people can be trusted to use nature in
a way that is fair to the needs of everyone
5). The benefits of taking action to protect
nature are greater than any costs
6). Because of human activities, the Earth is close
to ‘tipping points’ in nature where climate or
nature may change suddenly, or may be more
difficult to stabilise in the future
7). Things that threaten nature can be threats
to human health to
[Scale]
1). Strongly agree
2). Tend to agree
3). Neither agree nor disagree
4). Tend to disagree
5). Strongly disagree
998). Don’t know
Attitudes towards responsibility for
the global commons
ASK ALL
Q5. a. The protection and restoration of nature
is something people can contribute to through
their own actions. To give just a few examples:

ƒ Travelling on foot, by bike or public
transport instead of by car

ƒ Using energy from renewable sources such
as wind or solar energy

ƒ Eating a diet of mostly plants, with little or
no meat or dairy products

ƒ Voting for candidates or political parties that
prioritise nature

ƒ Choosing products that are produced with
consideration for nature

ƒ Disposing of rubbish carefully and recycling
where you can.
[New screen]
Which of these best describes how you
personally feel?
To remind you, ‘nature’ includes the planet’s
resources, which we all need to survive and
flourish. These include the climate, the ocean and
freshwater, the air we breathe, plants and animals,
forests and wetlands, the Arctic and Antarctica.
[Single code. Forward and reverse codes 1 to 2,
anchor 998 to 999]
1). I want to do more to protect and restore
nature in future
2). I do not want to do more to protect and
restore nature in future
998). Don’t know
999). Prefer not to say
[Ask if code 1 at Q5a]
Q5.b. You said you would like to do more to
protect and restore nature. Which, if any, of the
following are preventing you from doing more
to protect and restore nature at present?
[Multicode. Rotate statements 1-6. Anchor 7, 997
and 998]
1). I don’t know what else I can do, or how
to do this
2). I don’t have time to do more
3). I don’t have enough money to do more
4). I have to prioritise other things
5). I haven’t prioritised this up until now, but
I am planning to
6). The facilities I would need to do more are
not available to me
7). I am unable to do more for another reason
(please specify) [OTHER SPECIFY – WRITE IN]
997). None of the above
998). Don’t know
Attitudes towards transformation
ASK ALL
Q6. In which, if any, of the following areas
do you think scientists agree that major,
transformational change is needed in the next
10 years to protect and restore nature?
By ‘transformational change’ we mean we
should do almost everything differently, or do
completely different things.
[Multicode. Randomise 1-7. Anchor 998]
1). How the economy runs (e.g. the way goods
and services are made, sold and used)
2). How unequal things are in [Nation]
(e.g. the gap between rich and poor people)
3). Whether the cost of goods and services
includes the cost of the damage they do
to nature
4). The balance between the use of fossil fuels
(coal, gas and oil) and renewable energy
(sources like wind and solar power) for
electricity, transport, heating and businesses
5). What we eat and how it is produced
6). The values that guide how people,
businesses and governments behave
7). The extent of flying and shipping, and
how these are powered (by fossil fuels or
renewable energy)
997). None of these
998). Don’t know
ASK ALL
disagree with the following statements?

per row, forward and reverse scale codes 1-5
anchor 998]
[Rows]
1). Decisions about nature that affect
communities must involve the communities
(e.g. regions, cities, towns/villages) they
will affect
2). International organisations like the United
Nations should be given more power to
protect and restore nature at a global level
3). The way [Nation]’s economy works should
prioritise the health and well-being of people
and nature rather than focussing solely on
profit and increasing wealth in [Nation]
4). [Nation]’s government should prioritise jobs
and business profits in existing industries,
even if this means some harm to nature
5). Government action to protect and restore
nature will not benefit people in [Nation] in
the short term (over the next 3-5 years)
6). Most of the things we can do to protect and
restore nature are already known, but not
yet put into practice
[Scale]
1). Strongly agree
2). Tend to agree
4). Tend to agree
998). Don’t know
Actions that support transformation
ASK ALL
[Progressive grid, reverse rows for half of
participants, single code per row, forward and
reverse scale codes 1-5. Anchor 998]
[Rows]
1). Targets for achieving the protection
and restoration of nature should be based
on science
2). When choosing between products or services,
it makes no difference to me if the business
supplying these has set targets based on
science to protect and restore nature
3). In the main, the media in [Nation] report on
issues of nature and climate change in ways
that help me to understand these issues
4). In the main, the media in [Nation] report
on issues of nature and climate change in
ways that leave me unclear about what I
can do to help
5). People and nature are often in opposition –
what is good for people is often bad for nature
6). It would take a huge amount of effort for
people to protect nature and make it more
resilient for future generations
7). When choosing where to live or where to
visit, I would be more attracted to cities that
work to protect nature than to cities that do
not do this
[Scale]
1). Strongly agree
2). Tend to agree
4). Tend to agree
998). Don’t know
The impact of COVID-19 on attitudes
to transformation
ASK ALL

per row, forward and reverse scale codes 1-5.
Anchor 998]
[Rows]
1). The COVID-19 pandemic is a unique moment
to transform societies to be able to better
deal with ‘shocks’ (such as pandemics and
other extreme events) in future
2). People have enough to worry about with
COVID-19 right now, this is not the time to
be talking about restoring nature
3). The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how
quickly people can change their behaviour
in a crisis
4). [Nation]’s government should communicate
directly with people about restoring
nature, in a way similar to how they have
communicated about the COVID-19 pandemic
5). The COVID-19 pandemic has made me
more aware of how connected people are to
others across the world
[Scale]
1). Strongly agree
2). Tend to agree
4). Tend to agree
998). Don’t know
Sampling Methodology
COUNTRY
SAMPLE
SIZE
QUOTAS
LANGUAGE INTERVIEW
CONDUCTED IN
METHOD AGE WEIGHTS
Argentina
China
India
Brazil
Germany
Australia
France
Indonesia
Canada
Great Britain
1000
1000
1000
1000
1097
1001
1092
1000
1095
1096
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, working
status, region, income
language
Gender interlocked
with age, social
grade and working
status; region
Online
Online
Online
Online
Online
Online
Online
Online
Online
Online
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender and age
interlocked, region
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age
and region
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age
and region
Gender, age
and region
18-55
18-50
18-45
18-55
16-75
18-65
16-75
18-55
18-75
16-75
Spanish (Argentinian)
Chinese
English
Portuguese
German
English
French
Indonesian
English or French
(Canadian)
English

South Africa
Turkey
Russia
Mexico
South Korea
United States
Saudi Arabia
1000
1078
1080
1000
1000
1100
1000
Gender, age, region
and working status
status, region
gender interlocked
with age
status, region
gender interlocked
with age
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, age
interlocked with
gender, working
status, income
and region
Gender, age, region
and working status
Online
Online
Online
Online
Online
Online
Online
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age
and region
Gender, age
and region
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age, region
and working status
Gender, age
and region
Gender, age, region
and working status
18-50
16-60
16-60
18-50
18-55
18-75
18-45
English
Turkish
Russian
Spanish (Mexican)
Korean
English (US)
Arabic
COUNTRY
SAMPLE
SIZE
QUOTAS
LANGUAGE INTERVIEW
CONDUCTED IN
METHOD AGE WEIGHTS
Japan 1000
Gender, age, region
and working status
Online
Gender, age, region
and working status
18-65 Japanese
Italy 1096
Gender, age, region
and working status
Online
Gender, age
and region
16-70 Italian

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