Try answer this question in our climate test:
What share of the world’s population see climate change as a threat to their country over the next 20 years?
Most people don’t realise that a majority of people see climate change as a threat to their country!
This video explains why that is the case:
Most people worry about climate change!
Many people are unaware that a majority of people are worried about the threat of climate change to their country. If we wrongly think there is a denial from most people, it can stop us doing what needs to be done to make sure the planet is habitable for many future generations to come. Read more here.
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About this misconception
Across the world, more than half of people see climate change as a risk. As most people have realized the risk, it’s time for action. If politicians believe that few people are worried, then they might not dare to initiate the reforms that are needed. The results of the most recent Gallup poll from 2021 show that 41% of people globally saw climate change as a ‘very serious threat’ to their country, with 26% being “somewhat concerned”. That compared to 14% who say climate change is not a threat at all, and nearly one in five people worldwide with no opinion or awareness of the issue. It shows that the majority of people are absolutely aware of the threat climate change poses to the planet’s future.
Why is it a problem that people are wrong about this?
An illusion of conflict may stop us from doing what everyone understands must be done to make sure the planet is habitable for many future generations to come.
Why are people wrong about this?
The people who are skeptical about climate change have often been given time to express their views in the media, which might have created a false sense of how common their views are.
About this fact
The two independent experts we contacted about this question said the Gallup survey data is reliable and trusted amongst experts and other polls have shown similar results. The only issue is that it was only conducted in 142 countries and some of the most vulnerable countries to climate change (small island nations) were not polled. However, as one of the experts we contacted said, “However, the dataset does include all of the largest countries by population so it is a fair approximation of global opinion”.
Download slides
Want to use the slides from the video in your teaching? You can download them here and use freely.
Behind the scenes…
Want to try more questions? Go to our Worldview Upgrader.