Inflation has replaced the climate emergency as the most important issue facing Britain today, according to a public survey by Ipsos Mori.
The rising cost of living is now one of the biggest concerns for 40% of Brits, the highest level for around 40 years.
Global warming was briefly seen as the most important issue in November 2021 during COP26 but has now dropped to seventh, behind inequality and defence.
Pippa Bailey, head of climate change & sustainability at Ipsos UK, said that while climate change had dropped down the list of concerns, “we know that the British public worry about it on a regular basis and that the climate emergency is the number one value that unites the planet”.
“However, the important is often eclipsed by the urgent as people focus on the immediate ramifications of the war in Ukraine, inflation, the economy and trust in our leaders – issues which impact their day-to-day lives relating to being able to pay the bills and provide for their families.”
Food and drink companies are also weighing up whether to prioritise inflation or the environment. This week, Iceland admitted it would not hit its COP26 commitment to become ‘plastic neutral’ by 2023, explaining it was reluctant to pass the additional costs on to consumers. “If we became plastic neutral now, we would have to pass some of that extra cost on to customers – and I’m simply not prepared to do it,” MD Richard Walker wrote in a blog.
The public’s rising concerns over inflation are reflected in soaring food costs which have seen double-digit inflation for four months in a row. Food and drink inflation stood at 10% in May, according to NielsenIQ.
Some products are rising significantly faster. Potatoes, for example, are up 27% year on year, while frozen peas are up 25%.
The Ipsos Mori survey found petrol prices was also among the top concerns, with 11% of people now mentioning it as an issue of concern.
Certain demographics appear to be more worried about the inflation than others, with 45% of those between the ages of 35 and 54 concerned. Those aged 18 to 34 are the least concerned group, but 35% mentioned inflation as one of their concerns.
Full-time workers are more concerned about the economy in general than those not in work, with 35% of full-time workers mentioning the economy as a concern, compared with 26% not working.
Young people remain more concerned about climate change than other age groups, with 14% mentioning climate change or the environment, an increase on 11% in the general population.
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