Brits act on climate worries

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans are more concerned about climate change and saving the environment but Britons are doing more to reduce its impact, according to a new survey.

It showed that nearly 48 percent of Americans believe climate change is real compared to 41 percent of Britons. Americans are also more likely to have used a carbon calculator to measure how much they personally produce in a year than their cousins across the Atlantic Ocean.

But the study by AccountAbility and Consumers International also revealed that when it comes to taking action to battle climate change, Britons are in the lead.

They are more likely to turn off appliances, use energy efficient light bulbs and transport that is less hazardous to the environment.

"Consumers on both sides of the Atlantic increasingly want to know more about the impact of what they buy," said Richard Lloyd, the director general of Consumers International.

"But the differences we've found between consumer action in the U.S. and UK tell us that businesses and governments do not have a clear or united response to climate change," he added in a statement.

Americans are more likely than Britons to agree that climate change is more natural and not caused by humans but they do not trust what scientists tell them about global warming as much as people in Britain, according to the online survey of a total of 2,734 residents in both nations.

Philip Monaghan, a director of the non-profit AccountAbility which promotes responsible business practices, believes what is lacking on both sides of the Atlantic is leadership and action.

"More serious policy action and less photo shoots ... are key to building consumer trust and action," he said.