By Bunmi Yekini
In a striking global call for stronger climate action, the largest-ever standalone public opinion survey on climate change, the People’s Climate Vote 2024, reveals that 80 percent of people worldwide demand their governments to step up efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Even more remarkable, 86 percent of respondents want their countries to set aside geopolitical differences and collaborate on climate change.
This landmark survey, conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the University of Oxford and GeoPoll, reflects the voices of over 73,000 people from 77 countries speaking 87 different languages. The countries surveyed represent a staggering 87 percent of the global population, offering an unprecedented insight into how climate change is affecting people’s lives.
“The People’s Climate Vote is loud and clear,” stated UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. “Global citizens want their leaders to transcend their differences, to act now and to act boldly to fight the climate crisis.” Steiner emphasized the scale of consensus revealed by the survey, urging leaders to take note as countries develop their next round of climate action pledges under the Paris Agreement. “This is an issue that almost everyone, everywhere, can agree on.”
The survey found overwhelming support for stronger climate action in 20 of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters. In countries like China (73 percent), South Africa (77 percent), and Italy (93 percent), majorities want their governments to do more to fight climate change. Even in the United States and Russia, where climate action has faced political resistance, 66 percent of respondents called for stronger commitments.
The demand for action extends beyond reducing emissions. A global majority of 72 percent supports a rapid transition away from fossil fuels. This sentiment is strong even in countries that are among the top producers of oil, coal, or gas, with 89 percent of Nigerians and 54 percent of Americans backing a shift towards cleaner energy. Only a small fraction, 7 percent, said their countries should not transition away from fossil fuels.
Globally, more than half of people (53 percent) said they are more worried about climate change than they were last year. This anxiety is particularly acute in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), where 59 percent expressed growing concern. In Small Island Developing States (SIDS), a staggering 71 percent said they were more worried than before.
“People are thinking about climate change regularly, with 56 percent of respondents saying they think about it daily or weekly,” noted Prof. Stephen Fisher from Oxford University, who oversaw the data analysis. The survey also found that climate change is impacting personal decisions, with 69 percent of respondents globally reporting that it affects choices like where to live or work.
The People’s Climate Vote 2024 took special efforts to include marginalized groups, such as women over 60 who had never been to school, and people in countries where polling on climate change had never been conducted before. “This is some of the very highest quality global data on public opinion on climate change available,” Fisher added.
Cassie Flynn, UNDP’s Global Director of Climate Change, underscored the importance of these findings as world leaders prepare for the next round of climate pledges under the Paris Agreement. “The results are undeniable evidence that people everywhere support bold climate action,” she said. “The next two years stand as one of the best chances we have to ensure that warming stays under 1.5°C.”
As climate anxiety grows, the message from the global public is clear: the time for bold and united action is now. Leaders are being called to put aside differences, rise above national interests, and work together to safeguard the planet for future generations.
The People’s Climate Vote 2024 delivers an urgent reminder that this is not just an environmental issue but a global, human imperative.