Stat: Wealthier nations less alarmed by climate change despite higher awareness

Global – A recent international survey highlights a striking disparity in climate change attitudes between people in high-income, high-emission countries and those in lower-income nations. Conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and partners, the study reveals that while people in wealthier nations are more climate-literate, they exhibit significantly less concern about the crisis.

In high-income countries, 94% of women and 92% of men are aware of climate change, yet only 36% of women and 30% of men are ‘alarmed’ by it. In contrast, in lower-income nations with fewer per-capita emissions, 45% of women and 44% of men are alarmed about the situation.

The survey also finds that women in affluent countries are less likely to be climate sceptics, with 11% being ‘doubtful’ or ‘dismissive’ compared to 20% of men. Interestingly, more women in wealthy countries (46%) attribute global warming to human activities than men (45%).

In our macrotrend Paralysis Paradox we look at how people are experiencing a cognitive dissonance about environmental issues and how businesses need to transform and create solutions through radical innovations.