How does the world’s most populous country perceive climate change?

New studies reveal that Indians are increasingly aware of climate change, but there are significant differences in perceptions and understanding across the country.

Despite a growing recognition of global warming and its causes, public opinion in India is shaped by a complex interplay of scientific messaging, local realities, and socio-economic factors, the studies found.

Growing awareness and concerns among Indians

A survey by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) and the Centre for Voting Opinion & Trends in Election Research (CVoter) shows that more than 90% of Indians are concerned about global warming. More than half of those surveyed express deep concern.

The survey of 2,178 adults reveals that about 92% of Indians consider global warming either “extremely important,” “very important,” or “somewhat important”. It also shows that 53% believe global warming is already harming people, and a majority recognize that it will harm plant and animal species and affect current and future generations.

“We were surprised to see that even though India is incredibly diverse, people’s views about climate change are quite stable in many cases,” says Naga Raghuveer Modala, a co-author of the survey, and a geospatial database administrator at Texas A&M Forest Service. He notes that Indians are beginning to grasp the role of fossil fuels in global warming.

The survey also reveals significant regional differences in climate perceptions, with people in some areas like Gujarat and Maharashtra having higher levels of awareness — know a lot or something about global warming — compared to those in less urban areas like Kheri in Uttar Pradesh.

Radhika Khosla, an associate professor at the University of Oxford, says climate change perceptions across different regions in India is nuanced and requires more regionally tailored educational resources¹ to better inform the public and support climate and education policies in India.

Jagadish Thaker, a senior lecturer at The University of Queensland and principal investigator of the survey, notes that while many Indians are alarmed by climate change, there is a gap in understanding the specifics. “A lack of awareness doesn’t mean they’re not worried about it. It means that they don’t know that it is called global warming and that it is caused by human activities,” he explains.

Scientific consensus reduces climate change skepticism

Another 27-country study², including India, suggests that communicating the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change significantly reduces misperceptions and slightly increases belief in its existence and causes. Researchers, including Bojana Većkalov from the University of Amsterdam and Sandra Geiger from the University of Vienna, found that views shifted when people were told that 97% to 99.9% of climate scientists agree on climate change’s reality and human causation.

Before they knew of this consensus, participants often underestimated how many climate scientists acknowledge the existence and human causes of climate change. This shift in perception was particularly noticeable among those with lower initial familiarity and trust in scientists, with right-leaning people more likely to update their beliefs.

Although 88% of climate scientists also agree that climate change is a crisis, communicating this additional piece of information did not significantly alter public attitudes and increase support for climate policy or action, says co-author Kai Ruggeri at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

In India, a mismatch between global climate narratives and local responsibilities complicated public attitudes. Rural and less industrialized populations contribute minimally to emissions but suffer severe climate impacts, such as extreme weather events. This disconnect often led to distrust in scientific findings and skepticism about climate change, according to the researchers.

“Climatic extremes impact individuals and places disproportionately. People's perception and experience vary depending on their economic status and locations (vulnerable to less disaster-prone), and that’s one reason why their trust in scientific findings also varies,” says Akhilesh Gupta, an Indian climate scientist involved in the National Action Plan on Climate Change.

Gupta highlights that misinformation, misconceptions, and political dynamics can cloud public perception even when there is ample scientific evidence on human-caused climate change. He cites the erroneous statement in the 2007 IPCC report predicting the Himalayan glaciers would vanish by 2035, which damaged the credibility of climate science and fuelled skepticism.

Scientists issue warnings based on long-term data and models, but these warnings are often ignored because people compare the gradual nature of climate change with relatively much faster and disruptive changes in daily weather patterns, creating a perception of scientists being "too "alarmists", Gupta adds.