The majority of Swedes are pessimistic about the climate issue.
Six out of ten do not feel hopeful that we will solve the climate crisis, according to a survey commissioned by TV4 Nyheterna.
– We are not really getting anywhere on the climate issue, it feels like, says Camilla Linderoth, a resident of Gothenburg.
The major climate conference COP28 is currently in full swing in Dubai. Representatives from different countries and climate scientists gather at the annual congress to discuss the climate issue, but it does not seem to instill much hope in the Swedes.
– I’m not particularly hopeful, I would say. It doesn’t feel like anyone takes it seriously from those who decide, says Camilla Linderoth when she is asked the question in town in Gothenburg.
The majority pessimistic
Camilla is far from alone in being pessimistic. In an opinion survey commissioned by TV4 Nyheterna, 63 percent of the respondents answered that they are not particularly or not at all hopeful that we will be able to solve the climate problems. The measurement was made by the survey company Verian, formerly SIFO, and when TV4 Nyheterna commissioned the same survey last year, the figures were similar, 65 percent.
– It reflects the reality that we see. There is interest, but it is not a priority issue in society. But people are such that maybe it takes a little pressure and pessimism and that you are afraid of the consequences for us to solve a crisis, says Deliang Chen, climate researcher at the University of Gothenburg.
Deliang Chen himself says that he is optimistic and believes that we will solve the climate issue in the end. He understands that individuals are concerned but says that these issues must be resolved at a political level.
– Actions must be coordinated at all levels. From the level of the individual, to the national level, to the international level. Right now, the COP meeting that everyone knows is going on. This issue is huge and it needs to be solved globally. So everyone has to be with it is the most important thing, says Deliang Chen.