Air quality report 2022: public engagement

4. Understanding of the role that the individual can play in combatting air pollution

Having established general perceptions of air quality amongst Scots, the survey sought to better understand what Scots think they and others around them can do to tackle air pollution, as well as views around the role of other actors in tackling the problem.

Most Scots say they worry about the environment (71%) and see themselves as environmentally friendly (61%). Moreover, greater numbers disagree (42%) than agree (33%) that they cannot do anything to make their daily activities less harmful to air quality. In addition, over half (55%) disagree that the bad health consequences of air pollution are exaggerated (cf. 20% who agree).

However, they are more divided on whether economic growth should be prioritised over the environment, with more disagreeing (38%) than agreeing (31%).

Agreement that the bad health consequences of air pollution are exaggerated decreases with age, from 38% of those aged 16 to 24, to 13% of those aged 65 or over. Interestingly, agreement that they personally cannot do anything to make their daily activities less harmful to air quality peaks among the youngest age group (42% of those aged 16 to 24) and the oldest age group (39% of those aged 65 or over).

F11: Thinking about the environment, how strongly do you agree or disagree with these statements?

Unweighted base: 1,520

A majority of Scots believe that action is needed to reduce emissions from industry (69%), buses, taxis, HGVs and other commercial vehicles (62%) and private vehicle use (56%). They are less likely to prioritise action on emissions from domestic use of paints or cleaning products (27%), from fires/stoves (35%) or home electricity/gas use (37%).

The extent to which respondents prioritise action on large vehicles tends to increase with age. The extent to which respondents prioritise action on industry and agriculture also increases with age, but peaks for both issues among respondents aged 45-54. The reverse is true in relation to emissions from home energy use: 46% of respondents aged 16-24 want priority action taken on this matter, while results for all other age groups is more in-line with the Scottish average.

F01: To what extent do you think action is needed to reduce the following in order to improve air quality in Scotland?

Unweighted base: 1,520

Respondents believe that large public and private sector organisations such as industry (45%), the UK Government (45%) and the Scottish Government (41%) are more likely to have a large impact on improving air quality. By contrast, only around one in ten believe they personally (10%), or charities (12%) and community groups (13%) can have a large impact on their own.

F03: How big a difference do you think the following can make on improving local air quality?

Unweighted base: 1,520

Views as to who is, and who should be, responsible for air quality in their local area are very closely aligned and focus on the Scottish and UK Governments and local councils/authorities.

There are three exceptions to this. Fewer believe the Scottish Government are responsible (50%) than say they should be responsible (60%). The same is true for the UK Government (34% and 47% respectively) and global businesses (12% and 21% respectively).

The extent to which respondents attribute responsibility for air quality to their local council/authority increases with age, from 27% of those aged 16 to 24 to 60% of those aged 65 or over, as does the extent to which they think they should be responsible (from 29% to 59%).

Those aged 65 or over are also more likely than average to think that the Scottish Government (65%), local businesses (24%) and individual members of the public (22%) should be responsible. Meanwhile, those aged between 16 and 24 are more likely than average to think that global business (28%) should be responsible.

F09a: As it stands, which three of the following groups do you think are currently given the most responsibility for improving air quality in your local area?

F09b: And which three do you think should have the most responsibility?

Unweighted base: 1,520

When thinking about the actions and behaviours that individuals can make to improve air quality, Scots cite: walking, cycling or wheeling instead of making short journeys by car/van (63% a large or medium impact); switching to a less polluting vehicle (61%); using public transport more (57%); shopping more locally (56%); and working from home where possible (56%) as the most impactful.

Those aged 25-34 are significantly more likely to say that walking, cycling or wheeling instead of making short journeys by car/van will have a large/medium impact than those aged 65 and over (71% cf. 54%). Those in larger urban areas are also more likely to say that this will have a large/medium impact (66%) compared to those living in remote rural areas (45%).

F04: Below is a list of things that people can do to help reduce their contribution to air pollution. For each one, please select if you think this would have a small impact on air quality, a large impact or no impact at all.

Unweighted base: 1,520

The majority of Scots say they are doing some of the easier everyday actions like using less energy at home (81%) or shopping more locally (73%). However, even though many Scots are taking these actions, few are doing so with improving local air quality specifically in mind.

F05: Over the last 12 months, how often have you consciously done any of the following for the benefit of air quality? Some statements are shortened for brevity. See the questionnaire for full terminology.

Unweighted base: 1,520

Looking at the discrepancy around which actions may have a large impact, but have not been taken by respondents, it’s notable that women are significantly less likely than Scots overall to say they have not walked or cycled instead of making short car journeys (35%). White respondents (32%) are more likely than those from ethnic minority groups (13%) to not walk or cycle instead of making short car journeys.

Those aged 65 and over are more likely than average to have not walked or cycled (42%), as are those living in remote rural areas (42%). This may help explain the gaps between what respondents consider to be beneficial to air quality and how willing they are to act in that way: being less physically mobile as people get older and the practicality of rural living goes some way to explaining the drivers of action among respondents, despite feeling air quality is important.

There is little correlation between the impact respondents believe actions will have and the extent to which they have taken them specifically for the benefit of air quality. The actions where the greatest gaps exist are walking, cycling, or wheeling instead of making short journeys in a car/van (17% point difference), switching to driving a less polluting vehicle (16% point difference), working from home rather than commuting to a place of work (16% point difference), and using public transport instead of making journeys in their car or van (14% point difference).

F04: Below is a list of things that people can do to help reduce their contribution to air pollution. For each one, please select if you think this would have a small impact on air quality, a large impact or no impact at all.

F05: Over the last 12 months, how often have you consciously done any of the following for the benefit of air quality?

Unweighted base: 1,520 Above chart sorted by size of gap between impact of action and whether action taken for benefit of air quality

Where they are not doing the action already, respondents were asked how likely they are to start this in future if they felt it would make a difference to air quality. The most popular action is to use less energy at home, although most respondents are doing this already.

Of those actions not currently done by at least half of Scots, the three they are most open to doing in future are buying their energy from a sustainable supplier (49% likely), using environmentally-friendly cleaning products (46%) or shopping more locally (43%).

F06: How likely would you be to do the following to improve air quality, if you felt it would make a difference?

Unweighted bases vary between 293 and 1,040

The table on the following page shows the greatest perceived barriers to taking each of the actions that might improve air quality (shaded cells). Cost is the most cited barrier to driving a less polluting vehicle (58%), shopping more locally (40%), buying from a sustainable energy supplier (43%) and using environmentally-friendly cleaning products or paints (49%).

People liking what they do currently is a perceived barrier to reducing the amount of fire and stove burning at home (33%). Inconvenience is the main perceived barrier to using public transport (54%) and walking or cycling rather than driving (49%), selling/scrapping your car for an e-bike/scooter or public transport season ticket (45%) and minimising the number of home deliveries (45%). Finding it hard to break the habit is the main perceived barrier when it comes to not idling a vehicle (44%), eco-driving (35%) and using less energy (38%).

Working from home is a choice that many Scots say is out of their hands and relies on the agreement of others to be achieved (46%).

F07: What do you feel stops people from ....?

Unweighted base: c.200 for each behaviour

Scots are most likely to trust information on the health risk of air pollution if it comes from an official health body like NHS Scotland or Public Health Scotland (54%), from a medical professional (45%), or an official environmental body (41%).

Those aged 16 to 24 are more likely than average to trust friends/family (17%), and less likely to trust an official health body (47%), an official environment body (32%) and a medical association (31%).

F08: Who would you trust for information or advice on the health risks of air pollution?

Unweighted base: 1,520

Thinking about air quality, respondents are most likely to want more information on what the Scottish Government's plan is for improving air quality in Scotland (47%), where air pollution hotspots are (41%), and what is being done to tackle these hotspots (40%).

Interest in knowing what the Scottish Government’s plan is for improving air quality is higher among older respondents than young ones: 53% of those aged 65 and over select this compared to 40% of those aged 16-24. Conversely, 16-24s are keen to know more about what they can do to protect themselves from poor air quality (39% cf. 26% for those aged 65+).

F10: What, if anything, would you like to know about air quality in Scotland?

Unweighted base: 1,520