Erick Burgueño Salas
Research expert covering climate change and the water industry
Public opinion on climate change worldwide - statistics & facts
Climate change is perceived across the globe as one of the biggest risks to society. In fact, climate change impacts such as extreme weather events and climate tipping points were ranked by respondents worldwide as the most severe risks to humankind, according to a 2023 survey. And while a global average of 86 percent of people see climate change as a threat, opinions on other subjects like what to do against climate change and the media coverage of the matter are more polarized.
Regardless of the scientific evidence that climate change will substantially affect communities across the globe, there is still skepticism about the impacts it will have on future generations. There is nevertheless a firm consensus that climate change is real and is already perturbing human livelihoods, though public opinion discrepancies are still shown in subjects like media trustworthiness and the actions needed to try to slow down the impacts of a changing climate.
Opinion on actions against climate change
While there seems to be a consensus on the emergency of tackling climate change, the perceived impact of different actions on reducing greenhouse gas emissions varies. In a 2024 survey, switching to purchasing renewable electricity, and recycling were seen as having the most impact on reducing emissions. In contrast, less than ten percent of survey respondents said having a vegan diet would have the same effect. On top of that, roughly one-quarter of global respondents believed that changing their behavior would not have any impact on tackling climate change. Nonetheless, measures such as financial incentives or tax cuts were seen as a good encouragement to incentivize more action against climate change, as it would allow respondents to make more environmentally friendly purchases. Having easy access to information on possible daily actions was also seen as one of the main incentives to encourage climate action.Reaction to media coverage
Scientists and official international institutions such as the UN are considered the most trusted sources of information about climate change around the world. Meanwhile, news media was on average trusted by less than half of respondents in most countries surveyed. There are still several obstacles to misinformation and fake news, which makes trust in climate journalism dwindle. According to a study carried out in 2023, only 44 percent of interviewees across 14 countries trusted journalists to tell the truth when it comes to climate change issues. Among the ocean of information, some audiences avoid the topic entirely. Based on a global survey on climate change news consumption, more than a third of respondents aged 18 to 44 years old in India, the U.S., and the U.K. stated that they tried to avoid climate change news.Regardless of the scientific evidence that climate change will substantially affect communities across the globe, there is still skepticism about the impacts it will have on future generations. There is nevertheless a firm consensus that climate change is real and is already perturbing human livelihoods, though public opinion discrepancies are still shown in subjects like media trustworthiness and the actions needed to try to slow down the impacts of a changing climate.
