misinformation

📰 Key Highlights: Climate Change and News Audiences Report 2024

This report analyzes public engagement with climate change news and attitudes in eight countries: Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, Pakistan, the UK, and the USA, based on a November 2024 online survey. A central finding is « climate perception inertia »—a stagnation in public views and engagement despite the growing urgency of the crisis.

Consumption of Climate News & Information

Overall Weekly Consumption: Half of respondents (50%) see, read, or hear climate change news weekly, virtually unchanged from 2022 (51%).
Country Variation: Climate news consumption is highest in France (60%) and lowest in the USA (34%).
- The USA saw a 16 percentage point (pp) fall from 2023, possibly due to the overlap with the presidential election dominating the news cycle.
Primary Source: The news media remains the primary source for climate information, ahead of documentaries and social media.
- Television news (31%) and online news websites/apps (24%) are the most used media.
- Video is the preferred format over text.
Trust in News Media: Half (50%) trust the news media on climate change, stable since 2022 (52%).
- Scientists are by far the most trusted source (74%) and the most visible source in news coverage (40%).
Interest in Topics: People are most interested in climate news that intersects with weather (54%) and local news (52%), indicating a preference for personal relevance.

Climate Change Misinformation

Self-Reported Exposure: 25% of respondents globally think they see false or misleading climate information weekly, largely unchanged from 2022 (27%).
Country Variation: Highest self-reported exposure is in India (43%), and lowest in the UK (17%) and Japan (16%).
- Note: These figures are perceptions and may not reflect the actual prevalence of misinformation.
Sources Associated with Misinformation: People most associate misinformation with politicians and political parties (12%), followed by government (11%), celebrities (10%), and activists (10%).

Extreme Weather Events and Risk

Lived Experience: A majority in Brazil (76%) and India (65%) report experiencing heatwaves. Severe floods affect over half in India (59%) and Pakistan (54%).
Perception of Worsening Trends: Two-thirds of respondents globally (63%) believe heatwaves are becoming more severe, followed by floods (56%).
Media Coverage of Extreme Weather: People generally have a favorable view of how news media covers extreme weather, especially on providing information in a timely manner. They are less satisfied with coverage of the underlying causes.

Public Views on Climate Action and Impacts

Concern is High but Stable: Over two-thirds of people in every country are concerned about the impact of climate change—a proportion that has remained stable over the past three years.
Political Divide: Climate concern remains a politicized issue. Concern among those on the left (91%) is significantly higher than those on the right (77%), widening the left–right gap.
Perception of Impacts on Health: Over two-thirds of respondents in Brazil, and more than half in India and Pakistan, think climate change is having a large impact on their and their family’s health.
Perception of Insufficient Action: Governments (−33), energy companies (−37), and citizens themselves (−39) are overwhelmingly seen as doing ‘too little’ to address climate change.

Awareness of the Conference of the Parties (COP)

Limited Awareness: The survey, which overlapped with COP29, found little evidence the event meaningfully widened access to climate news.
- An average of 14% had ‘never heard of’ COP, and 21% had ‘heard of it but know nothing about it’.
- A majority (61%) claim to know at least a little, but only 9% say they know ‘a lot’.
Perceptions of COP: Public views are mixed:
- 62% believe it ensures vulnerable countries’ voices are represented.
- 60% think it succeeds in shaping climate policy.
- 59% think it is influenced by big business interests.
Demographics: Younger respondents (18–34) are more likely to view COP positively. Men (68%) are significantly more likely than women (59%) to report familiarity with COP.