Edinburgh vs Dundee: The most to least worried places about climate change in Scotland revealed

Statistics published by More in Common shows those living in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency are the most concerned in Scotland about the environment and climate change. 

The Scottish Greens did well in this constituency at the general election, coming third with 5,417 votes. In fact, all of the Edinburgh constituencies made the top ten of areas most concerned about climate change in Scotland.

A total of 71 per cent of people in Edinburgh West told the survey they were concerned about climate change, along with 69 per cent of people in Edinburgh South, 67 per cent of people in Edinburgh South West, and 66 per cent of people in Edinburgh East and Musselburgh.

Also in the top ten Scottish areas were Mid Dunbartonshire (70 per cent), Lothian East (69 per cent), Glasgow South (69 per cent), East Renfrewshire (67 per cent) and Orkney and Shetland (67 per cent).

The Scotsman has taken a look at the areas who said they were the most concerned about tackling the climate emergency:

Edinburgh North and Leith - 72%

Edinburgh West - 71%

Mid Dunbartonshire - 70%

Edinburgh South - 69%

Glasgow South - 69%

Lothian East - 69%

East Renfrewshire - 68%

Edinburgh South West - 67%

Orkney and Shetland - 67%

Edinburgh East and Musselburgh - 66%

Glasgow West - 66%

West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine - 66%

Stirling and Strathallan - 65%

Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West - 64%

Na h-Eileanan an Iar - 64%

North East Fife - 64%

Paisley and Renfrewshire South - 64%

Aberdeen South - 63%

Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber - 63%

Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk - 63%

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross - 63%

Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale - 63%

Dunfermline and Dollar - 63%

East Kilbride and Strathaven - 63%

Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire - 63%

Livingston - 63%

Midlothian - 63%

Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey - 63%

Rutherglen - 63%

But what about things on the other end of the scale?

Dundee Central was the Scottish constituency with the least amount of concern for climate change - only 52 per cent of Dundonians told the survey the issue was a worry for them.

In fact, Dundee Central had the lowest level of worry of anywhere in the whole of the UK. No Green candidates stood in Dundee Central at last month’s general election, which was one of the few seats held by the SNP.

Other areas with the least amount of concern for climate change included areas with high numbers of oil and gas workers, such as Aberdeenshire North and Moray East and Aberdeen North (both 59 per cent), and areas surrounding the Grangemouth oil refinery in the Central Belt, such as Falkirk and Alloa and Grangemouth (both 60 per cent).

Other areas with the least amount of concern about climate change and the environment include Paisley and Renfrewshire North (61 per cent), West Dunbartonshire (61 per cent), Angus and Perthshire Glens (60 per cent), Glasgow North (60 per cent), Glasgow North East (60 per cent) and Glenrothes and Mid Fife (58 per cent). 

Here is the Scottish constituencies with the least amount of concern:

1. Dundee Central - 52%

2. Glenrothes and Mid Fife - 52%

3. Aberdeenshire North and Moray East - 59%

4. Aberdeen North - 59%

5. Alloa and Grangemouth - 60%

6. Angus and Perthshire Glens - 60%

7. Falkirk - 60%

8. Glasgow North - 60%

9. Glasgow North East - 60%

10. Airdrie and Shotts - 61%

11. Arbroath and Broughty Ferry - 61%

12. Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock - 61%

13. Central Ayrshire - 61%

14. Dumfries and Galloway - 61%

15. Kilmarnock and Loudon - 61%

16. North Ayrshire and Arran - 61%

17. Paisley and Renfrewshire North - 61%

18. West Dunbartonshire - 61%

19. Bathgate and Linlithgow - 62%

20. Coatbridge and Bellshill - 62%

21. Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy - 62%

22. Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch - 62%

23. Glasgow East - 62%

24. Glasgow South West - 62%

25. Gordon and Buchan - 62%

26. Hamilton and Clyde Valley - 52%

27. Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke - 62%

28. Perth and Kinross-shire - 62%

The survey found that for Labour and Liberal Democrat voters across the UK, climate change and the environment was the top issue for them at the general election after the cost-of-living crisis and the NHS.

Four in five Britons think it is important the government cares about tackling climate change, including nearly 80 per cent of Conservative voters and two thirds of Reform voters.

In every constituency in Scotland, the majority of people said they were worried about climate change and said there was no electoral benefit to pursuing an anti-climate policy platform.

Patrick Harvie MSP, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, said: “These figures show that people in every corner of Scotland are deeply concerned about climate change and what it means for our future.

“The last year alone saw 13 monthly temperature records in a row broken, we had the UK’s largest ever wildlife at Cannich, and Storm Babet put Brechin under water, causing millions in damages and forcing hundreds of people out of their homes over Christmas.

“These impacts are only going to become more frequent, more serious, and more deadly over time. Politicians from every region and constituency must look at these figures and know that voters want serious action.”