Almost two-thirds of residents in the Highland area believe that climate change is an immediate and urgent problem according to a new survey.
It follows a survey of 989 people on Highland Council’s citizen’s panel, with 66.4% of people expressing serious concern.
It’s an increase from 53.8% when the survey was last carried out by the council in 2011.
The survey also revealed that 87.2% of 1,027 respondents felt that climate change is either partly, mainly, or entirely caused by human activity.
The wide-ranging survey also found concern among people about heating their homes, with 36.7% saying it was difficult or very difficult to get their house to a comfortable temperature.
And 24.7% of respondents indicated that they were heating their home to a temperature below a comfortable level due to cost pressures.
The figures are higher than Scottish and UK-wide responses to similar questions in the last year.
The citizen’s panel is made up of adults living in the Highland Council area and has been designed to be representative of the adult population in the region.
The survey also identified the top three priorities for addressing climate change in the Highlands.
These are developing low carbon infrastructure; small-scale renewable energy schemes; and protecting and improving landscapes to store and capture carbon in soil and plants.
The survey also showed that there are high levels of support for community projects that would enhance or improve use of the natural environment.
Highland Council leader Councillor Margaret Davidson said: “This survey shows that residents in Highland have a progressive, proactive view towards tackling climate change.
“The council will continue to look for ways to cut its carbon footprint and help communities reduce their own emissions.
“It is less encouraging that some residents in Highland are struggling with the cost of heating their home.
“We are committed to tackling fuel poverty by working with our partners to promote fair domestic fuel pricing.”
