Warmworld worries assail ever more around the globe

The figure is 72 per cent worldwide, with Spain on top with as many as 88 per cent of its citizens worried.

For the first time, this year's survey asked respondents how they thought climate change could best be tackled in their country.

Across the world, 45 per cent said they believed our best hope was through changing the behaviour of ordinary citizens. Those showing the highest sense of personal responsibility were from Indonesia (where twothirds of respondents thought motivating the general public was the best way to address climate change), Thailand (64 per cent) and the Philippines (59 per cent).

But more importantly, more and more people are actually taking action. They are changing their behaviour in a dramatic fashion and in the past year have adopted an allthingsgreen philosophy.

Most remarkable, though, was in certain coun¬tries where concern has rocketed over the past year, most notably the United States. An oftenmaligned nation when it comes to environmental protection, the number of respondents expressing concern shot up to 80 per cent, from 57 per cent last year.

Steve Garton, head of global media at Synovate, said he was heartened to see the big rise in action taken around the world.

The biggest changes have taken place in Australia, Canada, France, Spain, the UAE, the UK and the US, but there have also been significant changes in Germany (already quite active on many green issues), Russia, South Africa and India.

The most encouraging news is that with that huge leap in concern from 57 per cent to 80 per cent, Americans are standing up to be counted, taking responsibility and changing their ways.