This report describes climate change beliefs, attitudes, policy preferences, and behaviors among Facebook users in 31 countries and territories worldwide. The survey was fielded in partnership with Facebook Data for Good from February 17 to March 3, 2021. Among the key findings:
Climate Change Knowledge and Beliefs
- Knowledge about climate change: Respondents in Australia (78%) and Germany (77%) are the most likely to say they know “a lot” or “a moderate amount” about climate change. In contrast, respondents in Nigeria (28%) and Malaysia (20%) are the most likely to say they have “never heard of” climate change.
- Climate change is happening: Respondents in Costa Rica (94%), Brazil, and Spain (both 92%) are the most likely to think climate change is happening, while respondents in Indonesia (78%), Egypt, and Saudi Arabia (both 79%) are the least likely.
- Climate change is human-caused: Respondents in Spain (64%) and Italy (60%) are the most likely to think that climate change is mostly caused by human activities, while respondents in Indonesia (16%) and Nigeria (24%) are the least likely.
- Need for information about climate change: Respondents in the Philippines (83%), followed by South Africa and Vietnam (both 78%) are the most likely to say they need “a lot more” or “some more” information about climate change to form a firm opinion about it, while respondents in the United States, Australia, and the Netherlands (all 44%) are the least likely.
Worry and Perceived Risks Regarding Climate Change
- Worry about climate change: Respondents in Mexico (94%), Costa Rica (92%), and Colombia (91%) are the most likely to say they are “very worried” or “somewhat worried” about climate change, while respondents from Egypt (50%) and Nigeria (58%) are the least likely.
- Climate change will be personally harmful: Respondents are the most likely to say that climate change will harm them personally “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” in Vietnam and Mexico (both 83%), and the least likely to say so in the Czech Republic (28%) and the Netherlands (31%).
- Climate change will harm future generations: Respondents are the most likely to say that climate change will harm future generations “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” in Mexico (89%), Vietnam, and Costa Rica (both 88%), while respondents in Egypt (48%) and Saudi Arabia (53%) are the least likely to say so.
- Personal importance of climate change: Respondents in Costa Rica (81%), and Italy, Colombia, and the Philippines (all 78%) are the most likely to say that climate change is “extremely” or “very” important to them personally, while respondents in Egypt and Russia (both 31%) are the least likely to say so.
Support for Government Action to Address Climate Change
- Climate change as a government priority: Respondents in Mexico (91%), Colombia, and Costa Rica (both 89%) are the most likely to say that climate change should be a “high” or “very high” priority for their government, while respondents in Saudi Arabia (53%) and Egypt (55%) are the least likely to say so.
- Support for the Paris Climate Agreement: Support for the Paris Climate Agreement is highest in Costa Rica (96%), Spain, Japan, Vietnam, Italy, and Mexico (all 95%). Support is lowest, though still a majority, in the United States (74%) and Nigeria (80%).
- Governments should do more about climate change: Respondents are most likely to say their governments should do “much more” or “more” to address climate change in Italy, Colombia, and Spain (all 89%), and are the least likely in Saudi Arabia (42%) and Egypt (47%).
Energy and the Economy
- Perceived economic impacts of action to reduce climate change: Respondents in the Philippines (76%) and South Africa (69%) are the most likely to say that action to reduce climate change will improve economic growth and provide new jobs, while respondents in the Czech Republic (24%) and the Netherlands (28%) are least the likely to say so.
- Increasing use of renewable energy: Respondents in Spain (91%), and Costa Rica and Italy (both 90%) are the most likely to say that their country or territory should use “much more” or “somewhat more” renewable energy, while respondents in Saudi Arabia (62%), and the Czech Republic and Indonesia (both 66%) are the least likely.
- Decreasing use of fossil fuels: Respondents in Spain (76%) and the United Kingdom (75%) are the most likely to say that their country or territory should use “much less” or “somewhat less” fossil fuels, while respondents in Saudi Arabia (21%) and Nigeria (23%) are the least likely.
Climate Activism
- Willingness to participate in a campaign for climate action: Respondents in Colombia and Mexico (both 79%) are the most likely to say that they are currently participating, “definitely would” participate, or “probably would” participate in a citizens’ campaign to convince leaders to take action to reduce climate change. Respondents in the Netherlands and Japan (both 29%) are the least likely.
Six Climate Change Audiences
- Six climate change audiences: Our prior research has found that people in the United States can be categorized into six distinct groups – Global Warming’s Six Americas – based on their beliefs and attitudes about climate change. Applying this analysis to these countries and territories, Costa Rica (64%) and Colombia (63%) have the largest proportions of respondents in the Alarmed group, while the Czech Republic (13%) and Russia (15%) have the smallest. On the other end of the spectrum, the United States (11%) and Australia (8%) have the largest, though still small, proportions of respondents in the Dismissive group.