The climate crisis continues to escalate, bringing increasingly severe impacts felt across the globe. However, a 2024 report analysing data from eight countries shows that the public may be starting to tune out of the climate crisis, despite its growing urgency.

The study was conducted by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism as part of an ongoing project to explore public engagement with news and information about climate change. Its authors, Dr Waqas Ejaz, Mitali Mukherjee and Dr Richard Fletcher canvassed people in Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, Pakistan, the UK and the USA in November 2024. The report describes a stagnation in the public’s views, attitudes, and engagement with climate issues and information and calls this growing trend: climate perception inertia. 

How are people engaging with climate news?

The report found that about 50% of people saw, read or heard news about climate change on a weekly basis in 2024, although this varied across the eight countries. For instance, weekly climate news consumption was the lowest in the USA at only 34%. This was also a significant decrease since 2023, which may have been in part due to the presidential election dominating the news agenda. Either way, in a world where war, conflict, and major political events are constantly being broadcast, climate coverage is likely being pushed aside.

This doesn’t mean people don’t care about climate change – even if the levels of worry have remained the same in 2022. In fact, over two-thirds of respondents in every country expressed worry. However, it remains such a politicised issue that the biggest driver of difference in concern remains political ideology.

Do people still trust the media?

Even in an age where misinformation and disinformation are rampant even on issues where there is scientific consensus, the report finds that the public’s trust is relatively stable. It is also encouraging to know that scientists are by far the most trusted source of climate change information. Not unsurprisingly, politicians and political parties are some of the least trusted.

What are the public’s views on COPs?

The report asked people what they knew and thought about the Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings, where states and other stakeholders come together to find solutions to the most pressing climate change issues.

While a majority (61%) claim to know at least a little bit about COP, awareness varies by country. Given the USA’s influence and power over climate change negotiations, it is surprising that it had the highest proportion of respondents who had ‘never heard’ of COP.

Moreover, public perceptions of COP are a mixture of optimism and scepticism. For example, over half feel that big business interests are a major shaping force of negotiations, while almost half see COP as a major failure for the climate. Younger people also tend to have slightly more optimistic views on COP’s ability to encourage cooperation.

What can be done?

The stability in public attitudes and engagement are concerning in the context of the worsening climate reality. However, it is encouraging to see that people still trust the news and media to spread information about extreme weather events; especially if the content is relevant to their local contexts and everyday lives.

As such, focusing on local relevance as a way to boost interest in climate change could be a good way for news organisations to re-engage the public and break through the climate perception inertia.