Sixty-two per cent of adults in Great Britain now say climate change and the environment is an important issue facing the UK, up from 53 per cent in June 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Six in ten adults across Great Britain currently rate climate change and the environment as an important issue for the country — the highest proportion recorded since late 2024, the figures show. The Office for National Statistics posted the finding from its Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, noting the nine-percentage-point rise from 53 per cent in June 2026 to 62 per cent in the latest wave of data.
The jump is striking when set against the trend of the past two years. Concern peaked at 69 per cent between 26 July and 6 August 2023, then fell steadily — to around 57 per cent in October 2024, 53 per cent in May 2025, and 51 per cent in October 2025. That low point of 51 per cent now looks like the floor of a trough rather than a new normal.
The 62 per cent figure still sits below the 2023 peak, so it’s not a full recovery — but the direction of travel has reversed.
Climate change and the environment ranks alongside the cost of living, the NHS, the economy, crime, immigration, employment and housing as issues adults most commonly flag in the ONS survey. In February 2026, it sat in the “other commonly reported issues” group, with cost of living and the NHS leading. Whether the latest rise pushes it higher up that table isn’t yet clear from the published data.
A separate survey by Natural England adds context. Its People and Nature Survey for England found that climate change was identified as an environmental concern by 44 per cent of respondents — reinforcing the picture of sustained public worry even during the period when ONS figures were at their lowest. [Editor’s note: figures pending clarification of survey year and ranking.]
The ONS Opinions and Lifestyle Survey is an ongoing official poll of adults in Great Britain used to track public views on major issues, from the economy to public services. No regional or demographic breakdown of the 62 per cent figure has been published in the data reviewed.
Source: @ONS