Environmentalists are crossing their fingers following the results of a survey by Dutch global marketing analysis firm Glocalities which shows how public approval of solar power has now surpassed that of fossil fuels.
Around 68% of respondents from 21 countries interviewed between January and June of this year expressed their support of a shift to solar power, while only 14% stuck to the use of fossil fuels.
Other renewable power sources also showed an excellent rapport with the public, as support for wind power was at 54% and hydropower at 35%. Nuclear energy, which remains controversial, garnered 24% of positive votes.
The Glocalities survey results were gleaned from interviews with over 21,000 respondents, including those in China, India, South Korea, South Africa, Italy, Turkey, the United States, Mexico, and Brazil.
Echoing Global Sentiment
The results of the Glocalities survey were seen as an echo of results gleaned from other polls and surveys conducted regarding public sentiment on renewables, particularly in Europe and the United States.
For example, the findings of the European Union’s Eurobarometer for the period ending June 2023 showed that 85% of the bloc’s citizens are in favor of their respective governments investing in the renewable energy sector, facilitating the development and construction of both wind and solar facilities.
On the other hand, domestic results for the Glocalities survey of the United States showed that around 58% of Americans are keen on a shift to solar power, while 24% staunchly remain in favor of fossil fuels. An earlier study conducted by the Pew Research Center last year, just before the Russian attack on Ukraine sent energy prices skyrocketing, revealed a 10% decrease in the number of those who saw exploration into alternative power sources as a priority compared to the 79% seen in 2020.
Paradoxically, highly polluting fossil fuels still made up the bulk of global power consumption as of end-2022, accounting for 77% of the world’s total.
