Recent and significant ecological events have shone a spotlight on ongoing environmental issues and concerns. From natural events like storms to human-caused events such as deforestation and pollution, it’s become clear that there is an urgent need for more comprehensive and collaborative environmental stewardship. But is it clear to everyone? To find out what the public understands and things about ecological events, environmental surveys are becoming more common.
Create Your Environmental Survey Now For FREE!
What Is An Environmental Survey?
A survey about the environment is a questionnaire designed to gather people’s opinions, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to environmental issues. Environmental surveys or sustainability survey could focus on a variety of topics, such as:
- Climate Change: Awareness, beliefs, and concerns about global warming.
- Pollution: Opinions on air, water, and land pollution.
- Recycling & Waste Management: Personal recycling habits and views on waste reduction.
- Energy Use: Preferences for renewable energy and conservation efforts.
- Biodiversity & Conservation: Thoughts on protecting wildlife and natural habitats.
- Sustainable Practices: Attitudes toward eco-friendly lifestyles and policies.
Questions To Ask On An Environmental Survey
If you want to survey people about the environment, whether it’s a climate change survey, a sustainability awareness survey, or something else, you can ask questions that help gauge their awareness, concerns, and behaviors related to environmental issues. Here are examples:
1. General Awareness & Concern
- Do you believe in climate change? (Multiple Choice: Yes, No, Unsure)
- Are you concerned about environmental issues? (Scale 1-5)
- What do you think is the most serious environmental problem today? (Image Selection: Climate Change, Pollution, Deforestation, Endangered Animals, etc.)
2. Climate Change & Pollution
- Do you believe human activities contribute to climate change? (Yes, No, Not sure)
- Have you noticed environmental changes in your local area? (Yes, No, Not Sure)
- What actions do you take to reduce pollution? (Multiple Choice: Use public transport, Recycle, Reduce Plastic Use, Advocate, etc.)
3. Recycling & Waste Management
- How often do you recycle? (Multiple Choice: Never, Sometimes, Always)
- What prevents you from recycling more? (Lack of Facilities, Time Constraints, Not Enough Information, “I’m Just One Person,” etc.)
- Would you recycle more if it was easier to do?
4. Sustainable Living
- Do you actively try to reduce your energy consumption? (Thumbs: Yes/No)
- Would you be willing to pay more for eco-friendly products? (Multiple Choice: Yes, No, Depends How Much)
- Do you try to watch your water consumption? (Thumbs: Yes/No). If yes, how? (Multiple Choice: Short Showers, Wash Only Full Loads, Collect Rainwater For Gardening, etc.)
5. Government & Policy
- Do you think the government is doing enough to protect the environment? (Multiple Choice: Yes, No, Not sure)
- What environmental policies do you support the most? (Multiple Choice: Banning Single-use Plastics, Investing in Renewable Energy, Stricter Pollution Laws, etc.)
- Do you think homes that invest in solar power should receive tax credits? (Multiple Choice: Yes, No, Unsure)
Considerations When Creating An Environmental Survey
When creating an environmental survey, consider the following key aspects to ensure it’s effective, relevant, and insightful:
1. Choose the Right Question Types
Avoid limiting responses to just “Yes” or “No” unless you simply want quick insights. When more nuance is needed, try some of the following types of quantitative and qualitative survey questions, all of which can be found on the SurveyLegend platform.
- Multiple Choice: Good for structured data and comparisons.
- Opinion Scale (1-10 ratings): Measures attitudes or levels of concern.
- Image Questions: To easily convey material without language barriers, etc.
- Open-ended Questions: Allow you to get more detailed opinions but harder to analyze.
2. Keep It Clear & Concise
Avoid technical or complex language, e.g. “carbon sequestration” or “anthropogenic emissions” unless your audience is familiar with these terms. Simple, clear language everyone can understand will garner the best results for general audiences. Also, try to keep the survey short (5-15 minutes) to prevent fatigue; if it’s a very long survey, consider offering survey incentives for participation (a $25 gift card, perhaps).
3. Provide Context for Questions
Environmental topics can get confusing for those not well-versed in the topic. So, try to provide context for questions when possible so respondents can make informed choices. Instead of asking “Do you support renewable energy?” rephrase the question as, “Would you support government investment in solar and wind energy?”
4. Avoid Leading Questions
Avoid a leading question that “leads” people to respond in a certain manner. For example, replace “Don’t you think climate change is a serious issue?” with the more neutral “Are you concerned about climate change?” Also be cognizant of double-barrelled questions which pose two questions that could have different answers, into one. For example, “Are you in favor of recycling and renewable energy?” Someone may be in favor of one or the other, but the question boxes them in.
5. Watch Out For Sampling Bias
Sampling bias can cause accuracy issues. For example, according to the National Institute of Health, liberal respondents are more likely to be in favor of sustainability policies, while conservative respondents may not. So, be sure your survey will reach both groups, for example, publish your survey on CNN and Fox News to get a sampling of both groups. Another example would be online polls not representing older demographics well as they are less likely to be on the internet. So, supplement them with mail-in surveys or phone surveys.
6. Consider Demographics
People’s attitudes toward the environment can vary considerably based on demographics. For example, younger generations may consider sustainability a top priority while older generations may not. Other demographics that could impact a survey on the environment include education level, political affiliation, and location. Of course, try not to ask for unnecessary personal details that may make respondents uncomfortable and lead to non-response or drop-outs.
7. Ensure Data Privacy
If collecting personal data, clearly state how it will be used and be sure to follow privacy guidelines. Anonymous surveys encourage honest responses however this makes it difficult to perform follow-ups. SurveyLegend makes it easy to keep results confidential or anonymous, and surveys are highly secure with top-notch encryption to put respondents at ease.
Using Environmental Survey Results
Following completion of your survey on the environment, statistical tools can help identify trends, patterns, and correlations, comparing responses across demographics and identifying concerns and behaviors within the public realm (SurveyLegend’s robust analytics can help with this). Once key takeaways have been identified, it’s time to share the results! Most results, depending on who or what agency conducted the survey, are presented or used as follows:
- Reports & Publications. This may be for academic papers or policy briefs, or newspapers, magazines, and other media outlets.
- Media & Awareness Campaigns. Insights gained from environmental surveys can be used to inform environmental education efforts through broadcast campaigns, social media, and so on. They may also be used to address public misconceptions or knowledge gaps.
- Government & Policymakers. Results can be given to government agencies and policymakers to help advocate for new policies or influence policy decisions and sustainability programs.
- Corporations & Organizations. Businesses and nonprofits can use the results to create or guide sustainability strategies.
Environmental Survey Example
Here’s a sample environmental survey created using SurveyLegend. You’ll see branding at the top, which lends credibility and increases response rates, plus a variety of types of survey questions. The background imagery can easily be changed out, as can font size, font type, and much more. You can make these surveys completely your own.
Conclusion
Conducting a survey about the environment provides valuable insights into public awareness, concerns, and behaviors regarding sustainability. The data collected can help shape policies, initiatives, and educational campaigns aimed at promoting environmental responsibility. By analyzing survey results, organizations and policymakers can better address key environmental issues and encourage more sustainable practices. Ready to get started? SurveyLegend has you covered. Get started today for free!
How concerned are you about the environment? What environmental concerns do you plan to survey about? We’d love to hear more in the comments!
Create Your Environmental Survey Now For FREE!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
