More than two-thirds of the world’s population favours solar energy, five times more than public support for fossil fuels, a global poll has found.
The survey, conducted by Glocalities in collaboration with advocacy groups Global Citizen and The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, was based on interviews with more than 21,000 people in 21 countries between January and June.
The countries included Australia, Brazil, China, India, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the United States.
With 68 per cent support, solar power was the most popular energy source, trailed by wind (54 per cent), hydropower (35 per cent) and nuclear (24 per cent), with only 14 per cent of respondents saying they favoured fossil fuels, the survey found.
The Glocalities poll reinforced other surveys showing robust support for renewables in Europe and the United States. The EU’s latest Eurobarometer from May-June found 85 per cent of Europeans support “investing massively” in renewable energies, such as wind and solar power.
A Pew Research Center poll from early 2022, which predated a global spike in energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, showed 69 per cent of U.S. adults prioritized developing alternative energy sources such as wind and solar over expanding the production of oil, coal and natural gas, down from 79 per cent two years earlier.
In the United States, the Glocalities poll found, solar energy was also the most favoured power source at 58 per cent, while fossil fuel was supported by 24 per cent, well ahead of the global average.
Fossil fuels, however, still accounted for 77 per cent of global energy consumption in 2022, said Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer at Global Citizen.
“This ‘production gap’ highlights a concerning paradox: despite strong public support for renewable energy, fossil fuel production remains prevalent,” he said.
“Regardless of demographic or political affiliation, Democrat or Republican, solar power emerges as the world’s preferred energy source …(which) indicates that there exists a common ground where political agendas can align with the clear demands of citizens,” he added.
Global energy demand rose 1 per cent last year and record renewables growth did nothing to shift the dominance of fossil fuels, the most recent Statistical Review of World Energy report said.
Scientists say the world needs to cut greenhouse gas emissions by around 43 per cent by 2030 from 2019 levels to have any hope of meeting the international Paris Agreement goal of keeping warming well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.