82 per cent of Indians are alarmed or concerned about global warming – Times of India

A recent report from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and CVoter International reveals that a large majority of the Indian public, specifically 82%, are either alarmed or concerned about global warming. The report, titled “Global Warming’s Four Indias, 2022,” identifies four distinct groups within the Indian population that have varying responses to climate change: The Alarmed, the Concerned, the Cautious, and the Disengaged.
The Alarmed group, which makes up the majority at 54%, is most convinced about the reality and dangers of global warming. They are the most supportive of climate and energy policies and are motivated to take individual action. The Concerned group, comprising 29%, is also convinced that global warming is happening and a serious threat, but they know less about it and view it as less immediate than the Alarmed. The Cautious group, representing 11%, think global warming is happening but are less certain about the causes and less likely to view it as an immediate threat. Lastly, the Disengaged group, at 7%, knows very little about global warming and rarely engages with the issue.
The report highlights that effective communication on climate change requires understanding the target audience. The findings should help various stakeholders such as governments, journalists, companies, and advocates to better engage with the key audiences on the issue of climate change and its solutions.
The report also reveals that there are substantial differences in global warming risk perceptions among the four groups. For example, the Alarmed and Concerned groups are more likely to think that global warming will harm themselves and their families, while the Cautious and Disengaged groups are less likely to think so.
The report identifies several climate and energy policies that are widely supported by Alarmed, Concerned, and Cautious groups, including developing national programs to educate people about global warming and to train people for renewable energy jobs. Encouraging local communities to build check dams to increase local water supplies is also a popular policy. However, the Disengaged group is less supportive of these policies.
Overall, the report shows that Indians of all kinds are concerned about climate change, support climate policies, and want leadership from their governments. The report is based on a nationally representative survey of 4,619 Indian adults (18+) conducted from October 2021 to January 2022 via telephone.