28 August 2015: Partners of the World Wide Views Alliance have conducted the largest ever citizen consultation on climate change, giving people globally a place to voice their concerns and opinions with regard to climate change.

The consultation was held ahead of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and was initiated by the UNFCCC Secretariat. It was coordinated by the Danish Board of Technology Foundation in collaboration with Missions Publiques and the French National Commission for Public Debate, and implemented by partners in the World Wide Views Alliance, with support from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development and the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, as COP 21 host.

76 countries, including 13 islands, participated in the consultation, consisting of 30 African countries, 15 American countries, 18 Asian/Oceanian countries and 13 European countries. The consultation was carried out by 100 citizens in each participating country. These citizens attended a day-long event on 6 June 2015 during which, in groups of six to eight citizens, they worked on the five COP 21 themes and then answered 30 questions. The findings of these debates have been analyzed and a synthesis report has been published, providing a preliminary overview of the results.

Results show that citizens recognize the importance of tackling climate change, with 78% feeling very concerned about the impacts of climate change and 79% wanting their countries to take measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, even if many other countries do not take measures. Regarding tools to address climate change, 88% of citizens support a carbon tax, 78% feel that education programmes for the broader public are important for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and 45% would like to see all fossil fuel exploration stopped.

Other key outcomes include that: 66% of respondents consider measures to tackle climate change as an opportunity to improve their quality of life; 68% think that a Paris agreement should include a legally-binding global long-term goal to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions at the end of the century; 79% think high-income countries should pay more than the already agreed US$100 billion annually by 2020 for mitigation and adaptation in low-income countries; and 90% believe that all countries should publish an annual report on their emissions and progress made.

The report, which will be published in late September, will provide an in-depth analysis and highlight 12 key findings. [UNEP News Release] [Publication: World Wide Views on Climate Change] [World Wide Views on Climate Change Website]