Climate change is also falling off the agenda, with the share of respondents in the region who consider climate change a serious and imminent threat having more than halved in recent years, from 72.2 percent in 2021 to 49.4 percent in 2023. , 42.5 percent in 2020). Latest annual results.
The Southeast Asia Climate Outlook Survey, conducted by the Singapore-based research center ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Research Institute, found that respondents perceived Japan as a leader in China, a world power that helps the world achieve the Paris Agreement. The percentage was the highest (22.4%). This year’s goal. The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change that has been ratified by more than 190 countries and aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050, compared with pre-industrial levels. be.
This is the first time that people in Southeast Asia have ranked Japan above other jurisdictions since the 2021 survey first posed questions about leadership on climate change. The report summarized the feelings of approximately 3,000 respondents from 10 ASEAN member countries through an online survey conducted from mid-July to mid-August this year.
The EU, which ranked first last year, has fallen to third place, with 20.3% of respondents identifying the EU as a global climate leader. The US came in second with a major share of 20.4 percent, up from a dismal 6 percent in 2021.
The report’s authors say President Joe Biden’s administration will “improve the domestic climate picture by passing anti-inflation legislation aimed at increasing green spending and getting other countries to support its initiatives, such as global methane emissions pledges.” He pointed out that he is making efforts to change the situation.
Overall, observers tracking global climate leadership trends say the sentiments registered in the survey reflect the lack of a clear leader for Southeast Asians that has emerged over the past five years. said. In particular, confidence in the EU dropped significantly from 31.5% in 2021 to 20.3%. The report blames uncertainty as the Russia-Ukraine war enters its third year.
Despite Japan’s emergence as a potential climate leader, its share of the vote was insignificant, down almost 1 percentage point from 23.2% in 2021. The Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei are its biggest supporters.
Among Southeast Asian countries, Singapore is the most skeptical of global climate leadership. At least one in four respondents (26.3%) say no country is demonstrating leadership, more than double the 11.3% of respondents across all regions who share that view .
Sharon Shea, senior fellow and coordinator of the institute’s climate change program, said the study, now in its fifth year, was conducted against the backdrop of the ongoing economic dispute between the United States and China over trade barriers. said that it was done. “We have wondered if this study had been conducted under more stable conditions, for example before the trade war began in 2018, that there might have been clearer climate leaders. .”
“Unfortunately, the world order is fragmented and lacks multilateral cooperation. No one has emerged as a strong climate leader over the past few years,” she said. “The only hope is that the region sees Japan as a country with the potential to take the lead.”
In the absence of clear global leadership on climate change, Shi said countries in the region must find “unique ways to work together” while working with mid-tier countries to at least provide some direction. he suggested. “That’s something to consider for Singapore as well. If there is a vacuum in leadership, someone may need to step up.”
The report cited the Ukraine war, Israel’s war in Gaza, persistent inflation, and rising food and energy prices as ongoing events and trends that could “cast a shadow on environmental and climate issues.” are.
Climate change denial has also increased significantly this year across Southeast Asia, to 2.2% of respondents, with respondents from Laos, Brunei and Cambodia questioning whether there is scientific evidence to take this threat seriously. was the most skeptical.
Disconnect between science and action
Another important trend highlighted in the Climate Outlook study is the increasing role of local governments. More than half of respondents (52.7%) believe that local governments should take responsibility for tackling climate change. This is the first time that the proportion of people who answered yes exceeded the proportion who said that individuals should take responsibility.
At least 8 in 10 respondents still believe that national governments should bear the greatest responsibility for climate change. 27.8% of those surveyed said their governments were the most proactive in tackling climate change. Meanwhile, Singaporeans are the most supportive of government actions and policies, with 63% agreeing that the government is taking strong climate action measures.
Speaking at the report’s launch event on Tuesday, climatologist and director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore, Professor Benjamin Houghton, said: “There is a gap between climate science that clearly states the problem and climate science that clearly states the problem. “Sentimental surveys like this are necessary because there is a growing disconnect.” and how stakeholders perceive it. ”
Mr Houghton also expressed frustration that leaders were not visibly concerned about the threat of climate change or acting urgently to address the problem. During the panel discussion, he said that after the event’s guest of honor, Cambodian Minister of the Environment Ein Sofares, gave a keynote speech, instead of staying in the venue to listen, he went to the laboratory with half the room empty. criticized for being kicked out of the venue for the tour. Presentation of findings.
“As soon as we got on stage to discuss the research, they left. Why didn’t they want to hear from the research or the scientists? That’s the disconnect, and the climate issue is “It’s a priority,” he said.
Mr Houghton called on individuals to take responsibility and pressure leaders to talk about climate change and put the issue back on the table.
For example, he suggested that Singapore’s leaders should address the issue of extreme heat caused by climate change. Due to the transition to El Niño, 2023 has been declared the world’s warmest year since 1850.
Dr Masiita Kristalin, acting co-chair of the Union of Finance Ministers and senior advisor to Indonesia’s finance minister, which aims to mainstream climate action in fiscal policy, says that even though climate is a deep-rooted concern for governments, these sentiments are He said it may not be completely resolved. It is not reflected in policy because of competing priorities such as the economy.
Rising food insecurity
This year’s survey added a new question asking respondents whether they think the effects of climate change will have a negative impact on their health. Respondents from the Philippines (71.5%), Vietnam (61.4%), and Thailand (55.8%) expressed the greatest concerns.
People worried about climate-related health problems were more likely to live in large cities. The report notes that urban centers experience extreme temperatures and lack green space to cushion the effects of heatwaves. Some cities suffer from air pollution and overcrowding.
Food insecurity is also on the rise, with around 70% of low- and middle-income respondents saying they are facing hardship, up from 60% in 2023.
Over the past 12 months, food price inflation has exceeded 20% in Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos, and more than 5% in Indonesia and the Philippines, according to World Bank data.
