More than a third of Irish people believe natural occurrences contribute to climate change

EPA director Dr Eimear Cotter said believing climate change is caused equally by human activity and natural change was “wrong” and there was a scientific consensus climate change is man-made.

Almost 40% of people wrongly believe climate change is jointly caused by people and natural occurrences, despite overwhelming scientific consensus it is down to human activity.

Large numbers of Irish people overestimate the impact their own actions are having on the climate, while support for policies such as higher taxes on petrol or diesel cars and bans on peat, coal and oil for home heating has fallen, an in-depth new survey on Ireland’s attitude to climate issues has found.