South Africans’ confidence that a climate crisis will be averted in their lifetimes has declined from 58.9% in 2021 to 56.6% this year, the ‘Epson Climate Reality Barometer’ report shows.

Further, the findings also suggest that age is a factor, with the oldest age range – those older than 55 – most concerned about climate change, at more than 15%, while those in the 45 to 54 and 16 to 24 age ranges, at under 7% each, the least concerned.

This is despite the impact of climate change witnessed in recent years, including intense rains affecting the eastern coast of South Africa, resulting in increased devastating flooding and landslides across KwaZulu-Natal and widespread ongoing droughts across the Eastern and Western Cape.

This suggests a reality deficit in people potentially misunderstanding the full future impacts of climate change, the report states.

“This year’s survey focused on the actions that individuals have taken, or intend to take, to help tackle climate change, from less international business and leisure travel, to switching to an electric vehicle, walking or cycling more, switching to renewable energy and using more sustainable brands,” says printing equipment manufacturer Epson South Africa country manager Timothy Thomas.

Further, despite the varying issues South Africans believe government, companies and individuals should be prioritising, many are already playing their part to tackle climate change by adopting various sustainable habits.

For example, 32.5% of South Africans have volunteered to travel less internationally, with a further 31.4% planning to do so in future. While only 8% have switched to an electric vehicle, 63% are looking to make the change in future, he says.

Additionally, more than 60% are already walking and cycling more, reducing their plastic use, improving recycling habits and using reusable goods.

Further, 36% are travelling to the office less, while 25% are already encouraging their workplaces to commit to further efforts towards a net-zero carbon strategy, with nearly half planning to in the future, Thomas notes.

“While individual actions are ramping up, and as the world prepares for the twenty-seventh United Nations Conference of the Parties [to be held] in Egypt [in November], it’s clear that much more needs to be done if the world is to avert a climate disaster.

“Governments need to regulate for sustainability, businesses need to develop sustainable policies and technologies and individuals need to accelerate lifestyle changes, if the world is to meet its climate change targets and avoid irreversible change,” he emphasises.

The survey measured the opinions and experiences of 520 South Africans as part of a global study by Epson into the causes and possible mitigations to climate change around the world.

“As Epson works towards its Environmental Vision 2050, we are focused on various climate protection and biodiversity initiatives that use a circular economy as a more comprehensive approach, enlisting the actions of individuals, organisations and governments,” says Thomas.

“As a global technology leader, we must refocus our efforts on developing solutions which will help reduce the environmental impact of our products. By cooperating and finding solutions, we can collectively inspire action and bring about change together.

“While we know we have a long way to go, we believe we will build a better future if we work together and act now,” he concludes.

Meanwhile, Epson has committed to becoming carbon negative and eliminating the use of exhaustible underground resources, such as oil and metal, by 2050.