Four out of five people worried about environment, tracker finds

Four out of five people in Scotland are concerned about the country’s environment, with more than half the population making an effort to curb climate change, a new initiative has found.

In what is the first of its kind, an annual tracker published on Thursday showed that 56% of people are making an attempt in their everyday lives to reduce their carbon footprint, and many welcome working closer with the Scottish Government to reduce global warming.

Named the Circularity Living Tracker, the initiative was commissioned by Zero Waste Scotland to provide an insight on sustainable habits as Scotland’s Circular Economy Bill goes through Parliament.

It used a sample size of 2,000 people deemed representative of the Scottish population and will be updated each year to gain an insight into how the public engage with the environment.

The tracker highlights the public’s understanding, behaviours and attitudes towards the circular economy, where products and services are designed to maximise value and minimise waste, as well as practices such as recycling.

According to the tracker, 81% of people are concerned about the environment and around three-quarters are worried about the effects climate change will have on the next generation.

It found that 69% of people in Scotland would like to see more regulation from Government on mitigating climate change – something it is hoped the upcoming Circular Economy Bill can help with.

The tracker found that 55% say they now understand what a carbon footprint is and 59% understand how their daily habits can impact on the environment.

Subsequently, 56% of those surveyed are trying to consume less and 45% are limiting how much products with excess packaging they buy.

The tracker also looked into why many people in Scotland believe they could be doing more to alleviate climate change.

More than four in ten (44%) of people said they are not organised enough to shop sustainably while 38% said they are unsure what can and cannot be recycled.

Some 34% said not owning a car makes it harder to recycle, 31% said their local authority does not recycle food waste, and 11% said they are unsure how to reduce food waste.

Zero Waste Scotland has created an online circularity quiz in response to the tracker, which challenges users to think about their consumption of products that contribute to climate change.

The Circular Economy Bill aims to give Scotland powers that will help the nation consume differently, use resources more efficiently, tackle waste and boost the wellbeing economy.

Laid in Parliament in June this year, it aims to create a way of living that is both sustainable and of benefit to businesses and the public, if the bill is passed.

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Rethinking our consumption is our greatest tool in the fight against the climate crisis, so it’s fantastic to see people in Scotland doing their part and making more sustainable decisions about what and how they consume.

“The forthcoming Circular Economy Bill and Route Map are aimed at making it easier for us to reduce the impacts of our consumption – something the citizens of Scotland are clearly asking for.

“The time for combined action is now, and according to our Circularity Living Tracker, the people of Scotland are ready and eager to play their part.”

Scotland’s circular economy minister Lorna Slater said: “It’s clear that most people in Scotland are both concerned about climate change and are motivated to take action.

“We are determined to support them to do so. Our Circular Economy Bill will give local Councils and the Scottish Government the powers they need to transform our economy and tackle throw-away culture.

“Of course, the best way of tackling waste is to not create it in the first place. There are huge economic opportunities in the circular economy and we have already seen businesses in Scotland creating jobs by turning what we might otherwise throw away into valuable new products and services.

“This legislation will support the growth of more green businesses and community organisations while cutting waste and climate emissions.”