Earth4All and Global Commons Alliance | 24/06/2024
Objectives & Methodology
Commissioned by Earth4All and the Global Commons Alliance, in partnership with The Policy Institute at King’s College, Wellbeing Alliance, ISWE, and Wellbeing Economy Alliance, Ipsos conducted research to understand attitudes toward societal transformations, political/economic systems, and planetary stewardship, relesead as G20 Global Report: Attitudes to political and economic transformation.
Questions focused on: values and worldviews, attitudes towards nature and planetary stewardship, attitudes towards national and global political and economic systems, and levels of support for Earth4All policy recommendations.
This report focuses on attitudes towards national and global political and economic systems, and levels of support for Earth4All policy proposals.
Ipsos surveyed 22,000 participants aged 18 to 55-75 in total across 22 countries. This included 18 G20 countries (Argentina (1,000), Australia (1,000), Brazil (1,000), Canada (1,000), China (1,000), France (1,000), Germany (1,000), India (1,000), Indonesia (1,000), Italy (1,000), Japan (1,000), Mexico (1,000), Saudi Arabia (1,000), South Africa (1,000), South Korea (1,000), Turkey (1,000), United Kingdom (1,000), United States (1,000)), plus four countries outside the G20 (Austria (1,000), Denmark (1,000), Kenya (1,000), and Sweden (1,000)). Not all questions were asked in China. All interviews were conducted online and took place between 5th March and 8th April 2024.
Quota sampling was used, and in each country data are weighted to be representative of the national population on age, gender, region, and working status. Where results do not sum to 100, this may be due to rounding, multiple responses, or the exclusion of ‘don’t know’ categories.
This report presents a G20 average of country responses and compares individual countries and demographic groups against this. The ‘G20 country average’ percentage is an arithmetic average of national results across the 18 G20 countries surveyed (or 17 G20 countries in the case of questions that were not asked in China), where the results from each country have the same weight and are not pro-rata to the true population proportions for this audience.
Study coverage
Countries new to the survey in 2024: 22 countries were included in the study, a total of 22,000 participants aged 18 to 55-75.
Some questions that were asked were also run in the Global Commons Survey in 2021. Where this is the case, trend data has been shown for those countries included in both the 2021 and 2024 studies.
Country classification
For analysis purposes, we have grouped the countries included in the survey into five classifications based on:
- Country income level as defined by the World Bank: low (lower-middle), medium (upper-middle), and high (high) income.
- Vulnerability to climate change as defined by the University of Notre Dame (US): low, medium, and high.
Government and Economy – Key Findings
Belief in Economic Growth as the Driver of Wellbeing:
- Belief in economic growth as the driver of wellbeing remains high among those surveyed in the G20.
- While the concept of ‘trickle-down’ economics is not supported (only 39% of those surveyed in the G20 agreed that we are all better off when some people get rich because their spending and investment trickles down throughout society, leading to more wealth for all (30% disagreed)), 60% agreed that focusing on economic growth is the best way to achieve wealth and wellbeing for all (12% disagreed).
Support for Wellbeing Economies in the G20:
- There is support for wellbeing economies among those surveyed in the G20.
- 68% of those surveyed in the G20 agreed that the way the economy works should prioritize the health and wellbeing of people and nature rather than focusing solely on profit and increasing wealth (8% disagreed).
- 62% agreed that the economic success of a country should be measured by the health and wellbeing of its citizens, not how fast the economy is growing (11% disagreed).
Economic Inequality:
- Economic inequality is seen as a problem among those surveyed in the G20.
- 67% of those surveyed in the G20 agreed that there is too much economic inequality these days (11% disagreed).
- 61% agreed that the economic system in their country hurts people who have the least money (15% disagreed).
- 62% agreed that the way the world’s economy works now is unfair to poorer countries (10% disagreed).
Link Between Economic System and Environmental Damage:
- The link between the economic system and environmental damage is not firmly established, with only 44% agreeing that the economic system is bad for the environment (20% disagreed).
Trust in Government:
- Only a minority of those surveyed in the G20 trust the government to act in the best interests of citizens in the short or long term.
- 39% of those surveyed in the G20 agreed their country’s government can be trusted to make decisions for the benefit of the majority of people (40% disagreed).
- 37% agreed their country’s government can be trusted to make long-term decisions that will benefit the majority of people 20 or 30 years from now (40% disagreed).
- Trust in government is lowest in Europe (plus Japan, Turkey, and South Africa).
- Lower- and higher-middle-income countries tend to be more aware of economic inequality and supportive of wellbeing economies, but at the same time exhibit greater trust in government to act in the best interest of citizens. They are also more likely to see growth as the best means of delivering wellbeing.
- Saudi Arabia is an outlier among high-income countries, with very high levels of trust in government, support for ‘trickle-down’ economics, and belief in growth as the best means of delivering wellbeing.
Attitudes Towards Economic Systems:
- Attitudes towards economic systems are fairly consistent across demographic groups surveyed in the G20.
- Those who are satisfied with their household financial situation are more likely to trust government, support ‘trickle-down’ economics, and see growth as the best means of delivering wellbeing. However, they generally remain critical of economic inequality and supportive of wellbeing economies.
- Those who feel themselves to be most exposed to climate and environmental risks and threats are most critical of the economic system and most supportive of national and international reform.
Support for Reform:
- There is support for reform of national and global political and economic systems among those surveyed in the G20, with slightly more support for reform at the national level.
- 65% of those surveyed in the G20 said that the political system of their country needs to be completely reformed or needs major changes (7% said it doesn’t need to be changed); 67% said the same of the economic system of their country (5% said it doesn’t need to be changed).
- 60% said that the global political system (for example, institutions such as the United Nations) needs to be completely reformed or needs major changes (4% said it doesn’t need to be changed), and 64% said the same of the global economic system (4% said it doesn’t need to be changed).
Response to Policy Proposals – Key Findings
Urgency of Reducing Carbon Emissions:
- Among those surveyed in the G20, there is clear awareness of the urgency of action on reducing carbon emissions.
- 71% believe that the world needs to take action immediately, within the next decade, to reduce carbon emissions from electricity, transport, food, industry, and buildings.
Support for Earth4All’s Policy Proposals:
- There is support for each of Earth4All’s policy proposals among those surveyed in the G20.
- Support is highest for affordable healthcare, policies that support workers’ work-life balance, and investment in renewable energy:
- Government ensuring that every citizen has free or affordable healthcare (75% supported, 8% opposed).
- Strengthening workers’ rights to protect jobs and ensure adequate retraining (75% supported, 6% opposed).
- Investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transport (cars, buses, trains, aircraft), and reducing pollution in industry (74% supported, 6% opposed).
- Policies supporting work-life balance, such as parental leave, better childcare provision, and flexible working hours (72% supported, 6% opposed).
Support for Progressive Taxation:
- There is support for progressive taxation to fund major changes to the economy and lifestyles among those surveyed in the G20, with support highest for a polluter-pays tax.
- 71% of those surveyed in the G20 supported people and companies that pollute the environment, for example, by causing greenhouse gas emissions, paying higher taxes, with the money raised shared out among people and companies who pollute less (7% opposed).
- 70% supported wealthy people paying higher rates of income tax (10% opposed).
- 69% supported large businesses paying higher tax rates (8% opposed).
- 68% supported wealthy people paying a higher tax on their wealth (11% opposed).
- Support for taxation is relatively consistent across countries (while lower- and higher-middle-income countries are much more supportive of other policy proposals than high-income countries).
- As with attitudes towards government and the economy, it is those who are most exposed to climate risks who are most supportive of taxation policy proposals.
Legal Rights for Nature and Future Generations:
- The majority of people surveyed in the G20 support giving legal rights to nature and future generations.
- 61% of those surveyed in the G20 supported giving legal rights to future generations in national laws (7% opposed).
- 60% support giving legal rights to nature in national laws (10% opposed).
What do people around the world think about political and economic transformation?
Join a webinar to explore the results of a major new survey which asked 22,000 people across the world’s largest economies their opinion on issues from tax reform to democracy.
The Earth for All 2024 Survey, commissioned by Earth4All and the Global Commons Alliance and carried out by Ipsos, reveals overwhelming public support for progressive tax reforms and broader political and economic changes to reduce inequality and increase wellbeing. In this webinar Ipsos will present the findings, and our panel will discuss their implications in a year where billions of people worldwide go to the polls.
Presenters and panellists
Mia Fennimore Holdsworth, Ipsos
Owen Gaffney, Narrative Lead, Earth4All
Zoe Tcholak-Antitch, Global Commons Alliance
Michael Weatherhead, Wellbeing Economy Alliance
