After the hottest June days ever recorded, public concern about climate change is high.

• 65 per cent of the public say they are very (25 per cent) or somewhat (41 per cent) concerned about climate change. Just 16 per cent are unworried.
• Even among current Reform UK voters, who show the lowest concern, a greater proportion are worried (46 per cent) than unworried (32 per cent). This makes Reform voters more than twice as likely as the average Brit to say they are unworried about climate change.
• For current supporters of The Green Party (87 per cent) and Labour (85 per cent) worry is equally widespread. However, a greater proportion of Green Party supporters are very worried (60 per cent) than Labour (40 per cent). 
• Nearly nine in ten (86 per cent) Britons see climate change as at least partially responsible for the heatwave. Even among those who oppose Net-Zero, 6 in 10 (63 per cent) relate the heatwave to climate change.
• 84 per cent believe the UK is unprepared to cope with extremely hot weather. Over half (51 per cent) say the UK is ‘very unprepared’. Unbearably hot weather becoming more frequent is a worry for two thirds (66 per cent) of the British public.

When asked to describe how they felt about the heatwave in their own words: Britons say they felt uncomfortable, worried, exhausted and ultimately, hot.

When asked to describe their feelings toward climate change in a word, Britons are most likely to say: worried, unprepared and cautious. 

The same three words were selected across the support of four of the five main political parties in the UK. 

• The Green Party were the only exception, more likely to feel angry (27 per cent) and scared (24 per cent) than unprepared (16 per cent) or cautious (19 per cent). 
• Even among current supporters of Reform UK, typically more climate sceptic, their most commonly selected feelings toward climate change are in line with the average across Britain.

“It was horrific with a newborn. I was beside myself worrying that she was going to overheat and we are breastfeeding as well, so you’re just both getting hotter with the body heat. It was just grim. Everyone was irritated. So I’m glad it’s cooled down”. – Kara, 38, Conservative voter, Sceptical Scroller, Rochdale

There is consensus that extreme heat disproportionately affects the working class. 

• Two thirds say the working class are negatively affected (fairly or very badly); just 5 per cent say they are not affected at all. 
• In contrast, just 15 per cent of the public believe wealthy people are negatively affected, while over one third (34 per cent) say they are not affected at all.

Members of the public specifically discuss public sector buildings being left behind when it comes to preparing for the heatwave.

“I do worry about it if it’s going to get hotter and more consistently because the UK, like we’ve spoke about, it’s not built for hot weather… places I work like a lot of schools are going to and other public council buildings, a lot of them don’t have air con. It’s really warm in there.” – Duncan, 28, Labour to Reform, Dissenting Disruptor, Pontefract and Castleford

Others expressed concern that the gap between the haves and have-nots would only widen in the future, specifically with the underfunding of state institutions.

“I think for me it’s even deeper. It’s more about institutions because it is going to get hotter. So I’m thinking in the future, I mean the schools, the hospital, the care homes. I can’t even imagine how the older people kind of cope. So yeah, I think we’re going to have more heat waves. But yeah, it’s more about institutions because private people they can, maybe in the future they’re going to have, they have grants for whatever kind of stuff”. – Saher, 50, Conservative and now unsure, Established Liberal, Bury South

Unbearably hot weather becoming more frequent is a worry for two thirds (66 per cent) of the British public. 

• This worries a majority of voters from both insurgent and mainstream parties, including 52 per cent of current Reform UK supporters, 83 per cent of Labour voters and 87 per cent of supporters of The Green Party. 

… yet 84 per cent believe the UK is unprepared to cope with extremely hot weather. Over half (51 per cent) say the UK is ‘very unprepared’. 

• Hot weather is the area that Britons say the UK is least prepared to deal with (84 per cent), compared to water shortages (77 per cent say the UK is unprepared),  flooding (75 per cent) and storms (66 per cent). 

6 in 10 call for the government to do more to help people cope with extreme heat.

• 59 per cent say they want to see the government doing more in this area, while 26 per cent want the amount to stay the same. Just 5 per cent want the government to do less.