Kuala Lumpur (Aug 6, 2024) – Karbon Hero, in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Centre for Low Carbon Transport in Cooperation with Imperial College London (UTM LoCARtic) conducted the Climate Change and Eco-Anxiety Survey (Malaysia edition).
400 corporate professionals from various organisations in Malaysia were asked key questions about their eco-anxiety, climate change, decarbonisation, and willingness to adopt sustainability measures. Their valuable insights offer a snapshot of the current perception of climate change and sustainability landscape within the country.
The survey found that 9 out of 10 of respondents reported anxiety triggered by climate change news on social media and other news platforms. Furthermore, 8 out 10 respondents are experiencing guilt about their overall carbon footprint and personal emissions.
“It is pretty clear that eco-anxiety is notably significant among Malaysian corporates and the willingness to spend on environmentally friendly products and services exists. There needs to be a rethink on creating sustainable climate action for long term impact. This can be done by transforming pledge driven passion projects into profitable businesses,” said Dr Sarah Shahril, CEO of Karbon Hero.
Concern for future generations were unanimous, with almost 100% of respondents expressing they are worried that the next generation are at significant risk due to the detrimental impacts of climate change.
In terms of lifestyle changes, the survey indicates extremely positive willingness among respondents to adopt more sustainable lifestyle practices. About 80% are willing to reduce their energy consumption in efforts of conserving energy, while a whopping 89% are committed to reducing, recycling, and reusing materials. On top of that, 48% consider switching to electric vehicles, and 66%
support buying local products to minimise their carbon footprint.
“This survey reflects the growing personal awareness and proactive attitude of individuals towards attaining climate resilience. Taking this into account, we look forward in developing innovative green solutions that will have meaningful social and environmental uplift,” said Professor Dr Srithar Rajoo, Director of Institute for Sustainable Transport (IST) Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
Notably, a significant 7 out of 10 respondents expressed readiness to spend more on products and services that are either carbon-neutral, low carbon, or sustainable. This willingness to invest in sustainability indicates a strong market potential for locally produced environmentally friendly products and services.
Despite the high levels of personal commitment to mitigating climate change, the survey also reveals 57% of respondents believe that there needs to be more from the government in terms of policies to address climate change.
The survey sample included corporate executives and professionals across various sectors, with 70% men, 27% women and 3% prefer not to say. The respondents were spread across various age groups, 34% aged 20-30 years, 34% aged 31-40 years, 23% aged 41-50 years, and 9% aged 51 years and above.
While the survey reflects high-levels of eco-anxiety among Malaysians, it is also coupled with the positive levels in willingness to adopt more sustainable measures. Despite the positive personal commitment towards climate mitigation, it is also important to address climate policy development effectively for a more robust transition towards decarbonisation.
Methodology
The Climate Change and Eco-Anxiety Survey is a representative sample of respondents from corporate organizations in Malaysia across junior to high-level executives. The respondents were asked a range of questions related to climate change, eco-anxiety, decarbonisation, government policies and personal sustainability commitments. With two key question instruments: (i) a 5-point Likert scale (1-strongly disagree to 5-strongly agree) and (ii) choices specific questions with multiple choice options. The survey was conducted with convenience sampling through an online-only mode with respondents connected and engaged via the LinkedIn platform for targeted distribution and collection and to reach a more diverse pool of respondents. Assurance was given to participants that their participation is voluntary and were also informed that to safeguard their privacy, their names or identities were not asked in the survey but registered email were required for respondent verification. Respondents were also given an option to be contacted for further information on later date. All survey data will be destroyed after a designated time period.
Disclaimer
The Climate Change and Eco-Anxiety Survey relied on participants’ perceptions and views. While they were encouraged to accurately represent what their opinions are, the data is nevertheless self-reported and there is the possibility of inaccuracy and biasness. All information, analyses and statements provided by Karbon Hero and its partners made available through third-party platforms and www.karbonhero.com is made available for information purposes only. The Climate Change and Eco-Anxiety Survey findings are opinions on specific issues as at the date expressed. Karbon Hero shall have no liability to any third party in respect of the opinion, the information, and any content presented such as infographics, statements, bylines and etc. All content is made available for information purposes only and you should not construe such content as policy, legal, tax, financial or investment advice. The content is a statement of opinion as at the date expressed and does not constitute a solicitation, recommendation or endorsement by Karbon Hero or any third party to invest, buy, hold or sell any green services or products. The content should not be relied upon in isolation. The content is one of many inputs used by stakeholders to understand the overall sustainability and climate change landscape of a topic, region or business. Karbon Hero shall have no liability to you or any other third party for any decisions you make in respect of the content.
