Nearly 80% of the world's population is very concerned about the impacts of climate change, while two-thirds think climate action is an opportunity to improve their quality of life, according to a poll by UNEP.
The survey received about 10,000 responses and is the largest citizen consultation on climate change. It was conducted to gauge public opinion ahead of the UN climate summit in Paris (COP21) at the end of the year.
The findings show that 68% citizens think an agreement at COP21 should be legally binding for all countries and include a global long-term goal to reach zero greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by the end of the century.
Fully 79% believe high-income countries should pay more than the agreed $100 billion annually by 2020 for mitigation and adaptation in low-income economies. The same proportion wants their country to take measures to reduce GHG emissions, even if many others do not do so.