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Key Scottish Environment Statistics 2003
public attitudes
Public Concern about Environmental Issues: 1991 and 2002
Percentage of 'very worried' respondents
Issue | 1991 | 2002 |
Raw sewage put into the sea | 58 | 49 |
Nuclear waste | 51 | 47 |
Damage to the ozone layer | 48 | 34 |
Pollution of rivers, lochs and seas | 57 | 30 |
Protection of wildlife | 25 | 28 |
Respondents to the 2002 survey of Public Attitudes to the Environment in Scotland
1 were asked how concerned they were with 23 environmental issues. The chart above shows the 10 issues that caused most concern. It also compares responses from a corresponding survey in 1991.
2
In 2002, raw sewage put into the sea was the issue that caused most concern. Nearly half (49%) of those surveyed were 'very worried' about this issue. Other issues dealing with pollution and waste also caused concern. For example, 47% were 'very worried' about nuclear waste and 30% were 'very worried' about pollution of Scottish rivers, lochs and seas.
Public concern about many individual environmental issues fell between 1991 and 2002. For example, in 1991 42% of respondents were 'very worried' about global warming, compared with 25% in 2002.
The issues that caused least concern in 2002 (not shown on the chart) were fish farming (7% 'very worried'), lack of access to parks (10%), farming methods (11%) and forestry (11%).
SOURCE: SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Attitudes to Changing Way of Life: 2002
Percentage
| Most people need to change | Respondent needs to change |
Strongly agree | 27 | 8 |
Agree | 50 | 38 |
Neither agree nor disagree | 12 | 18 |
Disagree | 4 | 25 |
Strongly disagree | 1 | 6 |
Sustainable development is commonly defined as development that 'meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'.
3 There is growing recognition of the need for sustainable development at local and national level. This includes minimising the impact of our actions on future generations by reducing our use of resources and living within the capacity of the planet to sustain our activities.
Respondents to the 2002 survey of Public Attitudes to the Environment in Scotland1 were asked if they agreed there was a need to change current lifestyles so that future generations could continue to enjoy a good quality of life and environment.
4 Over three-quarters (77%) agreed that there was a need for most people in Scotland to change their way of life and 5% disagreed. However, less than half (46%) of the respondents agreed that they themselves needed to change their way of life and over three in ten (31%) disagreed.
The Scottish Executive has specified a set of 24 indicators to measure progress on sustainable development in Scotland.
5
SOURCE: SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
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