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However, 90% said that climate change would have a significant impact on future generations.

The survey carried out with 2,032 adults in June reveal that though climate change is an important issue, people were more concerned about race and immigration, the NHS and crime. 9% believed that global warming was caused by natural events while a total of 41% thought it was caused partly caused by both natural and human activity.

56% of respondents thought that experts were still divided over whether human activity is contributing to global warming, and 22% said that climate change was exaggerated and there was too much 'fuss' about climate change.

A resounding 70% of those polled, agreed that the Government should take the lead in combating climate change even if it means using the law to change people's behaviour and businesses should take greater action on climate change.

Phil Downing, head of environmental research at Ipsos Mori, said:
"Our research shows there is still a lot to do to win the public over on climate change and encourage low-carbon lifestyles.

"We are alive to climate change and very few people actually reject out of hand the idea the climate is changing or that humans have had at least some part to play in this.

"However, a significant number have many doubts about exactly how serious it really is and believe it has been over-hyped."

Sir David Read, vice president of the Royal Society, said:
"It is crucial to emphasise that the vast majority of climate scientists believe that humans are having an unprecedented effect on our climate.

"People should not be misled by those that exploit the complexity of the issue, seeking to distort the science and deny the seriousness of the potential consequences of climate change.

"The science very clearly points towards the need for us all-nations, businesses and individuals to do as much as possible, as soon as possible to avoid the worst consequences of a changing climate."

Responding to poll, Greenpeace climate change campaign manager, Charlie Kronick, said:
"It's hardly surprising that that the decade-long campaign by oil companies and the groups they fund to muddy the waters has had some effect. The truth is, the science is settled, but disproportionate airtime is given to sceptics with little credibility and no peer reviewed evidence. What's really remarkable about this poll is the fact that 90 per cent of people agree that climate change will have a significant impact on future generations, and 70 per cent demand that the Government take the lead in tackling it.

"It's crystal clear that the public are genuinely concerned about this issue, but it's easy to cherry pick statistics to spin a line for a news story. What's much harder is persuading our Government that they need to act now to reduce our CO2 emissions across the board by investing in the real solutions to climate change - energy efficiency, renewables and decentralised energy."