{"id":51742,"date":"2022-10-06T11:14:28","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T18:14:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=51742"},"modified":"2022-10-06T11:14:30","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T18:14:30","slug":"epson-survey-shows-global-attention-focused-on-climate-change-despite-conflicts-and-economic-woes-as-people-act-to-avert-disaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/news\/2022\/10\/epson-survey-shows-global-attention-focused-on-climate-change-despite-conflicts-and-economic-woes-as-people-act-to-avert-disaster\/","title":{"rendered":"Epson Survey Shows Global Attention Focused on Climate Change \u2013 Despite Conflicts and Economic Woes \u2013 as People Act to Avert Disaster"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Los Alamitos, CA (Oct. 6, 2022)<\/em> \u2014 Across the world, people are stepping up personal efforts to avert climate change, according to the latest findings from Epson\u2019s second Climate Reality Barometer. Research from the global technology leader suggests that while the world economy proves to be a distraction from efforts to address climate challenges, climate change remains a primary concern for many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite a year of unprecedented climate impacts, the survey also reveals that people are increasingly optimistic that climate disaster can be averted in their lifetime \u2013 though data also shows that there are significant variations in confidence levels, driven by factors such as economics and age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe 2022 Epson Climate Reality Barometer shows progress \u2013 but also that short-term economic demands are in danger of distracting governments, businesses and individuals from immediate environmental action,\u201d said Keith Kratzberg, president and CEO, Epson America. \u201cWith tools like the climate barometer survey, we are better equipped to make informed decisions by understanding public attitudes about the climate crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Optimism \u2013 Influenced by Economics and Age<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unsurprisingly, immediate financial issues are people\u2019s main concern. Nearly half (49%) of the people surveyed as part of the Epson Climate Reality Barometer in the U.S. believe rising prices and fixing the economy is the most urgent issue that governments, companies, and people should be focusing on (climate change 15%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, older respondents (aged 55+) believe rising prices (30.9%) is the most urgent issue, while younger respondents (aged 16-24) believe that climate change (22.3%) is the most urgent to be addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From a global perspective, \u201cfixing the economy\u201d (22%) and \u201crising prices\u201d (21%) ranked at the top the list of respondents\u2019 priorities, with climate change ranked a very close third (20%). Despite global economic downturn, conflicts and soaring energy bills, the climate crisis remains front of mind for many people globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Climate concerns, however, aren\u2019t leading to pessimism. Prior to COP 26 in November 2021, 46% of global respondents were optimistic that climate catastrophe could be averted within a lifetime. As the world prepares for COP 27 in Egypt this year, optimism has risen to over 48%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drilling down further, it\u2019s clear that global averages mask startling regional variations in confidence levels. Optimism is lower in most developed economies, for example, than in emerging ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The individual country members of the G7 all record levels of optimism significantly below the 48% global average: Canada (36.6%); France (22.5%); Germany (23.8%); Italy (25.2%); Japan (10.4%); the U.K. (28.4%); and the U.S. (39.4%).<\/li><li>Rapidly emerging and fast-growing economies record levels of climate optimism significantly above the global average: China (76.2%); India (78.3%); Indonesia (62.6%); Kenya (76%); Mexico (66%); and the Philippines (71.9%).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Yasunori Ogawa, global president of Epson, commented, \u201cEpson\u2019s corporate purpose is focused on improving lives and the planet, and we will devote significant resources to achieve this. As the world gathers for COP 27, our Climate Reality Barometer aims to raise awareness and empower transformational change. We hope that the Barometer\u2019s insights will help governments, industries, and individuals to step up their efforts to avert climate disaster. While we know there is a long way to go, we believe we can build a better future if we work together and act now.\u201d\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Reality Action: Motivation and Individual Steps Toward Change in the U.S.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Promisingly, many U.S. citizens are already taking action to mitigate the climate emergency. The top three actions people report they are already doing include reducing plastic use (46.1%); improving recycling habits (45.4%); and using more reusable goods i.e., fabric face masks (44.5%). In addition, survey respondents stated that the key factors motivating personal action include witnessing the impact of climate change (30.3%); government policy changes (29.6%); and social media (27.8%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite this, there are still a number of gaps in terms of what people are willing to do, which will be important in reaching net zero targets at a global and national level. Only one in 10 (11.9%) have switched to an electric vehicle, and a quarter (24.1%) say they never will, though promisingly nearly half (40.7%) are planning to in the future. A fifth (19.7%) say they will never travel less for business and leisure, though promisingly a third (33.2%) say they already have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, for those who have taken up actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change, a number of them are consistently committed to these actions. Over a third (36.9%) have tried recycling for longer than a year and still do this. Over a quarter (27.8%) have tried reducing plastic use for longer than a year and still do this. A quarter (28.1%) have tried using renewable energy resources for at least six months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Reality, Influence and Action Around the World<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) announced that \u201cHuman-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world\u2026.\u201d This year alone, disruption has encompassed adverse climate events across every continent, including: decades-long \u2018mega-droughts\u2019 in Africa and South America; rapid warming of both the Arctic and Antarctic; deadly floods in Asia and Australasia; unprecedented temperatures across the whole of Europe; and vanishing lakes in North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Environmental scientist and Co-CE of Change by Degrees, Dr. Tara Shine, said, \u201cThe harsh reality is that the past seven years have been the warmest on record and we run a real risk of passing safe temperature limits. Yet this survey shows that people across the world remain hopeful that their actions alongside those of government and corporations can transform society for the better. The immediate challenges facing economies around the globe, including rising energy and food prices, are both causes and symptoms of climate change. Planning for the long term and enabling people to take climate action now is the most powerful action countries can take to sustain climate optimism, reduce carbon pollution and build resilience to climate impacts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unqualified optimism might be seen as wishful thinking, but Epson\u2019s findings show that respondents do recognise the impacts of climate change. More than eight in 10 people (80.2%) cite the evidence of their own eyes \u2013 witnessing climate change in their daily lives \u2013 as the most influential factor in building awareness. Other significant climate information influences include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>75.7% cite government action and\/or campaigns<\/li><li>75% cite on and offline news<\/li><li>74.2% cite social media<\/li><li>64.8% cite business or community campaigns<\/li><li>64% cite COP conferences<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It appears that, in 2022, optimism isn\u2019t leading to complacency, but rather spurring people to action. Between 2021 and 2022, the number of respondents who have, or plan to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Walk and\/or cycle more has grown from around 83.7% to 87.2% \u2013 31.8% have done so for more than a year<\/li><li>Change to renewable energies has grown from 78.2% to 82.4% \u2013 18.6% have done so for more than a year<\/li><li>Reduce international business and leisure travel has grown from 65.1% to 68.2% \u2013 23% have done so for more than a year<\/li><li>Switch to electric vehicles has grown from 68% to 72.7% \u2013 10.6% have done so for more than a year<\/li><li>Adopt a plant-based diet has grown from 67.6% to 68.9% \u2013 16.5% have done so for more than a year<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While individual actions are ramping up, it\u2019s clear that much more needs to be done. Governments need to regulate for sustainability, businesses need to develop sustainable policies and technologies, and individuals need to accelerate lifestyle changes \u2013 if the world is to meet its climate change targets and avoid irreversible change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Epson\u2019s 2022 Climate Reality Barometer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Epson\u2019s 2022 Climate Reality Barometer surveyed 26,205 general respondents from the following markets: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, U.K., U.S., and Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Where year-on-year comparisons are shown, 17,273 consumers in the U.K., Germany, Italy, France, Spain, U.S., Brazil, Australia, China, Singapore, India, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, the UAE, Israel, and South Africa (Aged 16+) (06.08.2021 &#8211; 04.10.2021).\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>###<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Epson<\/strong><br><a href=\"http:\/\/epson.com\">Epson<\/a> is a global technology leader whose philosophy of efficient, compact and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson will become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Led by the Japan-based <a href=\"http:\/\/global.epson.com\/\">Seiko Epson Corporation<\/a>, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of around JPY 1 trillion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Epson America, Inc., based in Los Alamitos, Calif., is Epson\u2019s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Los Alamitos, CA (Oct. 6, 2022) \u2014 Across the world, people are stepping up personal efforts to avert climate change, according to the latest findings from Epson\u2019s second Climate Reality Barometer. Research from the global technology leader suggests that while the world economy proves to be a distraction from efforts to address climate challenges, climate change remains a primary concern for many. Despite a year of unprecedented climate impacts, the survey also reveals that people are increasingly optimistic that climate disaster can be averted in their lifetime \u2013 though data also shows that there are significant variations in confidence levels, driven by factors such as economics and age. \u201cThe 2022 Epson Climate Reality Barometer shows progress \u2013 but also that short-term economic demands are in danger of distracting governments, businesses and individuals from immediate environmental action,\u201d said Keith Kratzberg, president and CEO, Epson America. \u201cWith tools like the climate barometer survey, we are better equipped to make informed decisions by understanding public attitudes about the climate crisis.\u201d Optimism \u2013 Influenced by Economics and Age Unsurprisingly, immediate financial issues are people\u2019s main concern. Nearly half (49%) of the people surveyed as part of the Epson Climate Reality Barometer in the U.S. believe rising prices and fixing the economy is the most urgent issue that governments, companies, and people should be focusing on (climate change 15%). Moreover, older respondents (aged 55+) believe rising prices (30.9%) is the most urgent issue, while younger respondents (aged 16-24) believe that climate change (22.3%) is the most urgent to be addressed. From a global perspective, \u201cfixing the economy\u201d (22%) and \u201crising prices\u201d (21%) ranked at the top the list of respondents\u2019 priorities, with climate change ranked a very close third (20%). Despite global economic downturn, conflicts and soaring energy bills, the climate crisis remains front of mind for many people globally. Climate concerns, however, aren\u2019t leading to pessimism. Prior to COP 26 in November 2021, 46% of global respondents were optimistic that climate catastrophe could be averted within a lifetime. As the world prepares for COP 27 in Egypt this year, optimism has risen to over 48%. Drilling down further, it\u2019s clear that global averages mask startling regional variations in confidence levels. Optimism is lower in most developed economies, for example, than in emerging ones. The individual country members of the G7 all record levels of optimism significantly below the 48% global average: Canada (36.6%); France (22.5%); Germany (23.8%); Italy (25.2%); Japan (10.4%); the U.K. (28.4%); and the U.S. (39.4%). Rapidly emerging and fast-growing economies record levels of climate optimism significantly above the global average: China (76.2%); India (78.3%); Indonesia (62.6%); Kenya (76%); Mexico (66%); and the Philippines (71.9%). Yasunori Ogawa, global president of Epson, commented, \u201cEpson\u2019s corporate purpose is focused on improving lives and the planet, and we will devote significant resources to achieve this. As the world gathers for COP 27, our Climate Reality Barometer aims to raise awareness and empower transformational change. We hope that the Barometer\u2019s insights will help governments, industries, and individuals to step up their efforts to avert climate disaster. While we know there is a long way to go, we believe we can build a better future if we work together and act now.\u201d\u202f Reality Action: Motivation and Individual Steps Toward Change in the U.S. Promisingly, many U.S. citizens are already taking action to mitigate the climate emergency. The top three actions people report they are already doing include reducing plastic use (46.1%); improving recycling habits (45.4%); and using more reusable goods i.e., fabric face masks (44.5%). In addition, survey respondents stated that the key factors motivating personal action include witnessing the impact of climate change (30.3%); government policy changes (29.6%); and social media (27.8%). Despite this, there are still a number of gaps in terms of what people are willing to do, which will be important in reaching net zero targets at a global and national level. Only one in 10 (11.9%) have switched to an electric vehicle, and a quarter (24.1%) say they never will, though promisingly nearly half (40.7%) are planning to in the future. A fifth (19.7%) say they will never travel less for business and leisure, though promisingly a third (33.2%) say they already have. However, for those who have taken up actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change, a number of them are consistently committed to these actions. Over a third (36.9%) have tried recycling for longer than a year and still do this. Over a quarter (27.8%) have tried reducing plastic use for longer than a year and still do this. A quarter (28.1%) have tried using renewable energy resources for at least six months. Reality, Influence and Action Around the World In 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) announced that \u201cHuman-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world\u2026.\u201d This year alone, disruption has encompassed adverse climate events across every continent, including: decades-long \u2018mega-droughts\u2019 in Africa and South America; rapid warming of both the Arctic and Antarctic; deadly floods in Asia and Australasia; unprecedented temperatures across the whole of Europe; and vanishing lakes in North America. Environmental scientist and Co-CE of Change by Degrees, Dr. Tara Shine, said, \u201cThe harsh reality is that the past seven years have been the warmest on record and we run a real risk of passing safe temperature limits. Yet this survey shows that people across the world remain hopeful that their actions alongside those of government and corporations can transform society for the better. The immediate challenges facing economies around the globe, including rising energy and food prices, are both causes and symptoms of climate change. Planning for the long term and enabling people to take climate action now is the most powerful action countries can take to sustain climate optimism, reduce carbon pollution and build resilience to climate impacts.\u201d Unqualified optimism might be seen as wishful thinking, but Epson\u2019s findings show that respondents do recognise the impacts of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[86],"tags":[180],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51742"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51742"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51744,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51742\/revisions\/51744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}