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Dear Friends,

Today we are pleased to release a new report on Climate Change in the Indian Mind from a nationally representative survey (n=4,619) conducted from October 2021 to January 2022. The report also includes national changes since our prior survey conducted in 2011.

Home to more than 1.3 billion people, India is the world’s third largest national emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2). However, in 2020, India’s CO2 emissions per capita were only 1.74 metric tons a year, compared with 13.68 metric tons a year in the United States (Crippa et al, 2021). India is among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which is already harming human health and key economic sectors like agriculture. India is also a key player in international climate negotiations and has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. The Indian people will play a vital role in the success or failure of climate change mitigation, preparedness, and adaptation through their decisions and behaviors as citizens, consumers, and communities.

Among the key findings of this report:

Global Warming Awareness and Beliefs

  • 54% of people in India say they know either “just a little” about global warming or have never heard of it, while only 9% say they know “a lot.”

  • However, when given a short definition of global warming and how it affects weather patterns, 84% of people in India say they think global warming is happening (+15 percentage points since 2011).

  • 57% think global warming is caused mostly by human activities, while 31% think it is caused mostly by natural changes in the environment.

  • 74% say that they have experienced the effects of global warming (+24 percentage points since 2011). 

Global Warming Risk Perceptions

  • 81% of people in India are worried about global warming, including 50% who are “very worried.”

  • 49% think people in India are already being harmed by global warming (+29 since 2011).

  • Half or more think global warming will cause many more disease epidemics (59%), severe heat waves (54%), severe cyclones (52%), and droughts and water shortages (50%). More than four in ten think global warming will cause many more famines and food shortages (49%) and severe floods (44%).

Support for Climate and Energy Policies

  • 64% say the government of India should be doing more to address global warming.

  • 55% say the country should reduce its emissions immediately without waiting for other countries to act (+19 since 2011).

  • Large majorities favor specific policies:

    • A national program to teach all Indians about global warming (83%, +13 since 2011).

    • A national program to train people for new jobs in the renewable energy industry (83%; not asked previously).

    • Encouraging local communities to build check dams to increase local water supplies (82%, +14).

    • Preserving or expanding forested areas, even if this means less land for agriculture or housing (69%, +12).

    • Requiring new buildings to waste less water and energy, even if this increases their cost (69%, +12).

    • Requiring that new automobiles be more fuel efficient, even if this increases the cost of cars and bus fare (66%, +11).

  • 73% favor India’s participation in the Paris Climate Agreement.

  • 62% think that overall, taking action to reduce global warming will either improve economic growth and provide new jobs (45%) or have no effect on economic growth or jobs (17%). Only 19% think it will reduce economic growth and cost jobs.

  • 59% think India should increase its use of renewable sources of energy, while only 13% think India should increase its use of fossil fuels.

Local Weather Events: Observations, Vulnerabilities, and Resilience

  • 76% of people in India have noticed changes in the average annual amount of rainfall in their local area over the last 10 years.

  • 41% say the monsoon has become more predictable in their local area (+17 since 2011).

  • 56% say that hot days have become more frequent in their local area.

  • 74% say it would take their household several months or more to recover from a severe drought, and 63% say it would take several months or more to recover from a severe flood. This includes many who say it would take them several years to recover from a severe drought (28%) or a severe flood (26%).

  • More than half of people in India say their income does not cover their needs and they either have “some difficulties” (26%) or “great difficulties” (27%) as a result.

  • 65% say they have few or no friends or relatives they could count on for help if they were in trouble.


The full report includes many other important results, including who people in India think will be harmed by global warming, how often they hear about it in the media, and willingness to join a citizen’s campaign to convince leaders in India to take action on global warming. 

For media inquiries, please contact Lisa Fernandez and Jon Ozaksut. For partnership inquiries, please contact Joshua Low.

On behalf of the entire research team, thanks for your interest and support!

Cheers,

Tony
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Anthony Leiserowitz, Ph.D.
Director, Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
Yale School of the Environment
(203) 432-4865
Twitter:
 @ecotone2
environment.yale.edu/climate
yaleclimateconnections.org


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