HSBC's first international survey of public attitudes towards climate change released Thursday highlights a surprising spectrum of opinions across the world.
The HSBC Climate Confidence Index shows that people in developing economies exhibit the greatest concern, commitment and optimism towards the problem of climate change and in developed economies the greatest indifference, reluctance and fatalism.
The survey overall reveals that citizens of China and India are most optimistic that the problem of climate change can be overcome, while those in France, Germany and the UK are least optimistic that a solution will be found.
The HSBC Climate Confidence Index is one of the biggest research projects ever undertaken on the Internet, which is based on a sample of 9,000 people in nine countries and regions such as Brazil, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, India, Mexico, the UK and the USA, across four continents.
The survey demonstrates that climate change is having a significant impact on public opinion in developing countries, with around 60 percent of respondents expressing a high level of concern in China, India, Mexico and Brazil, compared with only 22 percent in the UK and 26 percent in Germany.
People in developing economies seem more committed to tackling climate change, with about 47 percent of people indicating high levels of personal commitment to combating climate change in India and Brazil, compared with only 19 percent in the UK, the survey showed.
The launch of the HSBC Climate Confidence Index is part of HSBC's broader strategy to contribute to tackling climate change among other initiatives to help reduce the impacts of climate change worldwide.
The HSBC has recently appointed Nicholas Stern, a former World Bank chief economist, as its Special Adviser on Economic Development and Climate Change.
The HSBC Group is one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world, which has around 10,000 offices in 82 countries and territories around the world.
The HSBC was also the first major bank and the first FTSE 100 company to become carbon neutral.
Source: Xinhua
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