International public opinion on climate change: drivers, challenges and governance

Abstract

Climate change enhanced by human beings has become one of the greatest challenges humanity has faced in its entire existence. In this paper, an analysis is made of the variables that influence the environmental perception of the population of thirty countries —28 European countries, USA and China—, in order to estimate the most explanatory factors and identify the causes of the appreciable differences in awareness between States. The study is based on a representative survey conducted between 2021 and 2022 among more than thirty thousand people in the above-mentioned countries. After a first level of aggregate analysis to establish perceptual differences between States, a more detailed study is carried out which, after considering a wide variety of socio-demographic variables, leads to the conclusion that the population’s perception and awareness of the climate issue is markedly ideological. Nevertheless, within what is conventionally understood as awareness, it is possible to differentiate between multiple aspects: awareness of the seriousness, perception of impacts, predisposition to an eventual change in habits, support for government measures, etc.