Climate change at top of global threats list
Concern for climate change related issues has grown worldwide, including in Canada.
Climate change is now the main threat for humans globally in front of terrorism and cyberattacks, based on the results of a study conducted by Pew Research Center.
The Washington based research institution conducted a worldwide survey between May and August 2018 across 26 countries. 27,612 people around the world agree that climate change poses a severe risk to their countries.
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Over 27,600 people around the world participated in the survey and 67% of them agree that climate change is their main concern and that it is the main threat to humanity around the globe. The number of people worried about climate change more than any other threat is up from the 63% obtained in the 2017 survey, and from a 56% in the earlier one conducted 2013.
The report highlights that in eight of the surveyed countries which include Russia, France, Indonesia and Nigeria, Islamic terrorism is considered the main threat. Meanwhile, four countries including the United States and Japan, see cyberattacks as the main threat to the population.
Global economy is still a major issue among many countries surveyed around the world, especially in places like Greece or Brazil where the economic situation has been stagnant or deteriorating for quite some time.
Since 2013 the concern for climate change related issues has grown worldwide, with the greatest increases occurring in France and Mexico. Other countries experiencing a significant increase include the U.S., United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Kenia, Canada, South Africa and Poland.
In seven of the surveyed countries, women are more concerned with climate change than men. Greece and Spain lead this category with 92% and 87% respectively as women consider it a serious threat.
Canadians also have climate change at the very top of their list of threats, with cyberattacks behind, and ISIS terrorism in third place. Other top threats, which are also common in a large number of countries around the world, include North Korea´s Nuclear program and U.S. power and influence. Actually, with this last threat, Canadians have increased their concern during the Trump era, escalating from 23% in 2013 to 38% in 2017 and to a high 46% in 2018.
In Canada, women show more concerned about Global Climate Change than men, 72% compared to 59%.
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Source: Pew Research Center