Context – Climate Engagement–The General Public –

1. Introduction

This Context article will look at the key issue of climate engagement and the lack thereof. In a world where the evidence of destructive climate impacts is being observed on a monthly if not daily basis; where extremes of heating, droughts, storms  and flooding  take an ever increasing toll on life and property and scientific estimations of the future are coming to reality much sooner then first envisaged but our consumption of fossil fuels is still growing, despite leaps in alternative energy sources, the question arises: why is climate action and energy transformation so hard to achieve?

 Allied to this question is the issue considered in this Context series related to Engagement:  why is the support of and demand for decisive climate action not louder and stronger coming from Governments and policy makers,  business and industry  groups and indeed from  the general public at large? Despite years of consistent and growing warnings from the scientific community lead by the major IPCC cycle of reporting, now in its 6^th phase of reporting, analysis pointing each time to more critical and urgent need for action, a gap still remains between public opinion and real policy commitment to end carbon emissions. But public opinion polling is also showing substantial majorities in favour of climate action, so why is there a lack of the size,  breath and depth of climate policies that really make a meaningful difference?

These are some of the questions that will be considered in this series of Climate Engagement. We will look in further detail at a number of opinion polls and what they tell us about public opinion in different parts of the world, different age groups and on the basis of other distinguishing features. We will also look at some psychological barriers and other factors that may provide some explanation for the polling figures as well as for the failures so far to effectively move from climate crisis onto broad based support and indeed demand for strong and effective climate action while drawing some lessons from these factors to determine how we may better close these crucial gaps in support and in action.  

2. Polls

Following are a selection of recent key polling reports reporting heading results for public opinion on climate change. The source (link), sample size and date is indicated in each case.

World in Data  – Global Focus – high levels of support for climate action:

–    A separate study published in Nature Climate Change in 2024 and reported in the same World in Data article from a sample of  125,000 people across 125 countries which indicated even higher support for government action as presented below:

     – 89% wanted to see more political action from their governments to tackle climate change

     – 86% stated they wanted people in their country to ‘fight global warming’. However their perception of other people’s willingness is consistently lower: in the US almost 9 in 10 people underestimated the willingness of others to support climate action, suggesting that people feel isolated in their support and suspicious of other people’s commitments.

– surprisingly, even 69% stated that they would be willing to contribute 5% of their income to tackle climate change. Notably, it is people in poorer countries that were willing to pay more – 83% in Bangladesh versus 48% in the UK (figures borne out by other poling commented below) which may be a reflection of the perception of greater climate risks.

United States –

Closer look at Climate Action Engagement in the United States:

• In December 2024, the Pew Research Center published the report, “How Americans View Climate Change and Policies” to address the Issue surveying 9,593 US adults.

• The results show a clear and consistent split between Republican and Democrat party leaning respondents across a broad range of climate related policies. This is most clearly reflected in the basic question whether human activity contributes to climate change: overall this is 45% (already significantly below the global average, see above) but for Democrat supporters,  70% believe this to be the case and only 20% for Republican leaning supporters; a split which is reflected across the range of climate questions.

• This split is clearly seen in a range of questions asking how climate change news affects them with the results presented in the following graph:

Anxiety for the future and motivation to do more questions shows a similar split from mid 30s% for Republicans to mid 70s% for Democrats on these questions which are vital for understanding of climate action motivation and commitment.

Europe

A brief look atEuropean polls indicate consistently higher belief in the both the impacts of climate change as well as the need to take strong action to fight global warming.

• In the most recent European Investment Bank Survey, 80% state they already feel the effects  of climate change and 87% say government is too slow to act.  Notably the views for China participants are equally high and the even the US is reported with figures higher than suggested by the Pew research (suggesting a survey specific factor in polling analysis).

• In  terms of energy priorities, although the most popular option, just short of  half  (47%) call for development of renewables as their first priority ( security of energy supply was second place and reducing consumption/ efficiency was third . Taxing high energy consumption such as for air travel and SUVs receives 2/3 support in Europe compared to China which is on 84% support and in the UK, a little over half). While these lower figures or energy action are in the context of the particular threats posed by the Ukraine war, they may also be an indicator of some waning of support for direct climate action, seen in the rise of populist parties in the European states and EU Parliamentary elections in the past year.

Developing World 

 Wikipedia provides a comprehensive overview of Public Opinion on climate change including the most recent available polls in developing countries and by demographic sector ; the headline trends are extracted below:

Africa – Wikipedia reports the 2022 EIB Climate Africa polls showing a decisive 88% indicating that climate is already impacting their lives which is rated the highest issue of concern and reflects the IPCC reporting of the Global South suffering most (while having contributed least to the problem).
It also indicates 76% think that renewable energy should be prioritized, which is somewhat ironic given the much lower levels of deployment in that region related to relative financial costs and infrastructures hurdles. 

Latin America –  this region has the highest percentage of persons concerned – 77% consider climate change to be a serious problem (20% higher than the global average) and 63% consider they will be seriously affected and similar percentages indicating they will need to make major lifestyle changes – perhaps indicating an important connection between perceived personal impact and support for action.

Asia –  People in developing countries in the region have a tendency to be less concerned about climate change (31%) compared to 74% for developed countries in the region (albeit these reporting is old from 2011). This is potentially very significant due to the fact that most global energy demand growth is expected in this region, particularly in the developing countries, so that the demand or lack of demand for clean energy development will be one of the decisive factors for global emissions pathways.

General Demographic indicators 

• Age –  Young (unsurprisingly but significantly) are more concerned about climate change than older generations. Open question is how they prioritise and politically act (vote etc) on their views.
• Political Identification – As seen in US, voters are clearly split on conservative / liberal (Republican/Democrat)  basis when it comes to climate views which is also reflected in Europe. Indicator of this split was Margaret Thatcher’s view of climate action as ‘a marvellous excuse for supranational socialism’ which may go some way to explaining the lower concern to outright denialism from right leaning parties, groups and their members.
• Income and Education – often going hand in hand, higher levels of income and education tend to support more climate action. Lover levels perhaps reflects greater ‘bread and butter’ concerns and less concern for longer term even if profound future problems.  If correct, this  has important implications and lessons for any attempts to broadening the support base for climate action.
• Social Media Use –  The Wikipedia references a 2019 article indicating that ‘the use of social media is associated with lower levels of climate skepticism’. It seems that may be too broad a statement as social media appears to reinforce existing views by sharing with like-minded people in both direction both for and against climate action. The role of social media influencers is also likely to be very significant as demonstrated by highly influential conservative commentators such as Joe Rogan blog which had an notable influence on voting intentions after endorsing Donald Trump.

3. Psychology of Participation 

TFollowing is a structured outline of psychological factors relevant to the question of what holds back effective public engagement.

Climate Change Psychological Factors Impacting on Public Engagement

The following general factors are identified from research undertaken on Google and reported by Google AI Overview and validated by a review of the text article presented. Some modification has also been made in the text by this article writer to better reflect the background research on the issue. The original Google request and response is linked here: Despite all the extreme weather events and climate evidence, why are more people not demanding strong climate action – Google Search
 
‘Despite overwhelming evidence of extreme weather and the scientific consensus on climate change, widespread public demand for strong action remains elusive due to factors like misinformation, political polarization, economic interests, and a sense of distance from the problem. Here’s a deeper look at the reasons:
a. Misinformation and Skepticism:
The spread of misinformation and denial of climate science by certain groups and individuals can create confusion and doubt in the public’s mind, hindering the development of a strong consensus for action. 
Some people may misinterpret or misattribute extreme weather events, leading to a lack of understanding of the connection between climate change and these events. 
b. Political Polarization:
Climate change has become a highly politicized issue, particularly in the United States but also increasingly in Europe, with strong disagreements on the need for action and the best ways to address it. 
This polarization can make it difficult to find common ground and implement effective policies. 
c. Economic Interests:
Certain industries and individuals benefit from the status quo, including the continued use of fossil fuels, and may actively resist climate action. 
These powerful interests, often fronted by ‘celebrity’ business people can exert significant influence on political decision-making, making it difficult to implement policies that would negatively impact their bottom line. 
d. Sense of Distance and Future Focus:
Many people may not feel directly impacted by climate change, or they may believe that the effects are far in the future, leading to a lack of urgency. 
This sense of distance can make it difficult to motivate people to take action, as they may not see the immediate benefits of doing so. 
e. Individual Actions vs. Systemic Change:
While individual actions like recycling or reducing energy consumption are important, they are insufficient to address the scale of the problem. 
Systemic changes, such as transitioning to renewable energy and implementing policies that reduce emissions, are necessary, but these require collective action and political will. 
f. Lack of Awareness and Education:
Many people may not fully understand the science of climate change or the potential impacts of inaction. 
Increased awareness and education are crucial to building public support for climate action. 
g. The Complexity of the Problem:
Climate change is a complex problem with many interconnected factors, making it difficult to find simple solutions. 
This complexity can lead to confusion and inaction, as people may not know where to start or what to do. 

The misinformation, polarization and vested interest factors (items a to c above)  will be looked at further in the second Context article on climate engagement covering ‘opposition’ and the third Context article will consider the other factors influencing the levels of climate action ‘support’; future, change, awareness and complexity (items d to g above).  

4. Some News Article Links and commentary –

Following is a selection of relevant recent news articles gathered under common themes related to people’s engagement, avoidance or opposition to climate action with short outline and discussion of the lessons that can be drawn from the articles.

• Emotional Impacts of Climate Change

–Distressed about climate change, a ‘supermajority’ of young Americans across the political spectrum want bolder action – 80% worried, 60% have strong emotions, 77% want US Government to take stronger action

–Here’s what psychiatrists plan to tell COP29 about how climate change is harming young people’s mental health – impact of the future fear of climate change impacts but also the present effect of extreme heat, wild-fires, forced migration and disruption to schooling and lives – Australia

–Why anger, anxiety and anguish are understandable psychological reactions to the climate crisis “Global survey of 10,000 people aged 16-25 found that climate worries had impacted on the daily functioning, like sleeping and concentrating, of 45% of respondents. In the UK, 73% of those surveyed felt that the future is frightening, with 48% feeling dismissed or ignored when voicing concerns. Subsequent surveys found similarly high rates of distress.- https://www.bps.org.uk/member-networks/division-clinical-psychology/power-threat-meaning-framework”

Lesson – Important to have a real appreciation of the serious impact that the implications can have on people, especially the young. It shows that young people have a well developed appreciation of the scale of risk and damage that Climate Change may bring but it is also essential to support them in that experience. The best way would be to demonstrate a clear and honest plan to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.  The risk is that this negative experience without effective assurance leads to avoidance and turn off.

• Big Lifestyle Changes are hard to make

 – UK public is becoming more ‘carbon capable’—here’s what that means (phys.org)  This shows moderate increase in awareness but no real change in travel or activities which would have a big impact on lifestyles as well as carbon impact – vegetarianism 7.7% ( which is actually down 1% from 2008), commitment to  flying less (21.7% down 1% from 2008) travel more generally – 6 in10. Nudging for more climate responsible behaviour has been the preferred approach but the article highlights the difficulties associated with the adoption of more climate responsible behaviours which seem to restrict freedoms currently enjoyed.

–Net zero, net confusion: Brits in the dark over net zero target – future net zero – Household focus on low impact actions (eg. recyclling), reluctant to adopt high impact changes such as electric vehicles or energy efficient appliances with cost savings the priority for a majority of people. Article emphasises the need for leadership, collaboration and clear strategy to help people to understand and engage with a low carbon transition.

Lesson – Raises doubt on the effectiveness of current approaches to convince people to make meaningful changes in their lifestyles, which the UK CCC indicates will be essential to successfully achieve a transition to net zero emissions and a sustainable planet. Certainly, appears that gentle ‘nudging’ alone is not sufficient. Raises the controversial question of what can really motivate the majority of people to make substantial changes? Specifically, whether ‘frightening’ people of the estimated impacts of a much hotter world is the best approach or taking a more positive approach to show how transitions have many personal health benefits.  Seems the answer is both!  People need to be directly informed on the extent of impacts from current scientific knowledge as well as provided with a credible hope for the future in face of those dangers.

• Immediate financial concerns and enjoyments often take priority

–Climate policy: competing crises | ScienceDaily   “Our results help explain why the potential of the climate crisis to increase support for costly countermeasures is limited. Fundamentally, the climate crisis competes with other crises and events which have a shorter time horizon and distract people’s attention. This diminishes the potential of the climate crisis to mobilize support for costly climate policies,” says Seelkopf

– More Aussies are concerned the transition to renewables will hurt them financially (phys.org)   Most Australians (59%) now want to see energy prices and energy supply reliability to homes and businesses (57%) prioritized above climate related actions.

–Polarization and risk perception could play important roles in climate-policy outcomes (phys.org) They show that in situations where the perception of risk is low—where the threat does not feel immediate or particularly dangerous—and opinion polarization is high, strong policy mandates can potentially worsen the long-term outcomes.

Lesson – the relevance (salience) of climate change action competes with other issues, which are generally more immediate than perceived more  remote risks of climate change. However that is changing with the more frequent, prolonged  and severe experience of extreme weather events such as wild fires seen in California or the extensive flooding casualties in Morocco and Spain in 2024 as examples.  Nevertheless, it is essential that the clear connection (attribution) with climate change is made and reported.  The scale and immanence of the climate risks must be clearly presented in a deliberate and direct manner to enable to support rational and sufficient responses to serious risks of climate system break-downs.

• Cultural Factors

– Heatpumps have a cosiness problem This article published in the Conversation highlights that there are factors other than efficiency and carbon reduction that are important to people. Not properly identifying what these are and how to effectively address the issue can in fact alienate the people trying to convince. People have strong home connections with the fireplace and burning solid fuels which may explain the slow take up of heat-pumps despite their energy efficiency (drawing heat from the earth or air) and much lower carbon content. The issue is important due to the fact that home heating accounts for 17% of carbon emissions in the UK – heat pumps are seen as a key element in the transition. People in a survey liked specific heat sources rather than even distribution of heating

Lesson – people’s culture and lifestyle are critical factors which must be taken into account when managing a successful carbon transition.

​Several prominent global climate-focused business groups are actively working across various sectors to promote environmental sustainability and address climate change. Here’s an overview of some leading organizations:​

MCL – April 2025

 (next update schedule:  Spring 2028;  more regular updates in the ‘Recent News Section’).

Climate Junction Update Posts

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