You’re not as alone as you think. And the more we speak up about their concern for the climate, the quicker we can spark real change.
Doesn’t it feel like a weird time to be alive? The warnings about the severity of climate change keep getting more urgent, but everyday life just keeps going. What makes it worse is that the climate crisis is not always an easy topic to talk about. When we bring it up in conversation … we sometimes wish we hadn’t.
Yep, caring about the climate can feel lonely. It shouldn’t. The good news is that, all around the world, other people care a lot more than we think about the climate.
“Politicians are lagging behind the public on climate. Maybe because we don’t talk about it loud enough”
A huge new survey by the United Nations Development Programme, covering 77 countries, found that four out of five people around the world want to see stronger action from their government on climate change.
An even higher number – 86% – want to see countries do more to set aside their differences and work together to solve the problem. It’s clear that, all over the world, politicians are lagging behind the public on this. Why? Maybe because we don’t talk about it loud enough.
How we underestimate those around us
In a giant global study of beliefs about climate change, researchers from Germany and Denmark surveyed 130,000 people in 125 countries (countries which together account for the vast majority of the pollution that’s messing up the climate.)
Their findings confirmed that a huge number of us want to see stronger action on climate change. They also revealed that 69% of us are even ready to chip in 1% of our income to fix it (incredibly, 1% is estimated to be enough to make a transformational difference).
This is great news. But there’s a problem: most of us don’t believe others would do the same. When asked how many people we think would chip in, we answer on average just 43%.
Seven out of 10 of us would be willing to chip in 1% of our income to fix climate change. But surveys show that we don’t realize how willing others are to help. Instead we believe that only about four out of 10 would contribute.
The result? We end up staying quiet about it, because we lack the courage to go against the grain – or we don’t think it will work. The result is that others around us don’t feel confident to speak up, and politicians don’t see that support exists for bolder policies.
The findings echo another study from 2022 which found that 80-90% of Americans underestimate how much their fellow citizens care about the climate.
It’s a pretty weird situation. The scientists call it a “false social reality” created by “pluralistic ignorance”. In other words, we’re going around second-guessing what everyone else is thinking about the climate… and getting it wrong. All while the planet keeps overheating.
Most people want their leaders to do more on climate
- United States – 66%
- Brazil – 85%
- Uganda – 80%
- China – 73%
- UK – 84%
- Source: Peoples’ Climate Vote, UNDP, 2024
But let’s not get frustrated – we should really be pleased that more people care than we thought. All we need to do is break the cycle of silence. The more people see that others want change, the more will feel emboldened to voice their own concerns, and take action.
So next time you find yourself wanting to bring up the climate in conversation, remember that there’s a pretty good chance the people you’re talking with, feel the same way you do.
What’s the picture where you live?
Find out how many people want stronger climate action in your country, in results from the Peoples’ Climate Vote.
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About Imagine5
We are storytellers inspiring you to live a planet-friendly life. Through our stories we shift perspectives and help you see that sustainable change is already underway. Sparking imagination that leads to action, creating a shift to sustainable behaviour as the norm. It’s happening.
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