New Delhi: The latest report by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and CVoter International, titled “Climate Change in the Indian Mind, 2023,” reveals that the vast majority of Indians are “moderately apprehensive” about various ecological hazards affecting their local vicinities.
These concerns encompass agricultural pests and diseases (87%), extinction of flora and fauna (86%), intense heat waves (85%), droughts and water shortages (85%), severe air pollution (85%), famines and food shortages (83%), severe cyclones (76%), and severe floods (71%).
As climatologists and environmental scientists have been issuing regular reports over recent years due to observed alterations in weather patterns—such as delayed rainfall, glacier shrinkage, extended summer seasons, and other anomalies—the report indicates that the majority of Indians believe that global warming is a reality.
“A significant majority of Indians (78%) acknowledge the occurrence of global warming. In contrast, only 9% refute its existence, while 13% remain uncertain,” the report states.
“A majority also opine that if global warming is occurring, it is primarily driven by human activities (52%), whereas 38% attribute it mainly to natural environmental variations,” it elaborates.
Support for Climate and Energy Policies
The report highlights that 86% of Indians endorse the government’s pledge to reduce the nation’s carbon emissions to nearly zero by 2070. Furthermore, 85% believe that transitioning from coal to wind and solar energy for electricity generation will mitigate air pollution, and 82% assert it would curb global warming.
However, 61% fear this transition might exacerbate unemployment, while 58% anticipate electricity outages, and 57% expect it to increase electricity costs.
“Indians strongly advocate for the clean energy transition, viewing it as advantageous for the economy and public health,” remarked Dr. Jagadish Thaker of the University of Queensland. “Notably, majorities support the 2070 ‘Net Zero’ goal to drastically cut carbon emissions and are personally willing to take actions to achieve it.”
It’s worth noting that at COP26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a global mass movement for behavior change, Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE), urging individuals to pledge to make significant changes in their daily lives to protect the environment, persuade family and friends to adopt eco-friendly practices, and publicly demonstrate these actions to influence others.
Indians Relocating Due to Weather-Related Disasters
Extreme weather-related disasters are increasingly common globally, and India is no exception.
The report indicates that “approximately one in three Indians (34%) have either already relocated or considered relocating due to weather-related disasters such as extreme heat, droughts, sea-level rise, flooding, or other factors.”
This includes 14% who have already moved and 20% who have contemplated it. About two-thirds of Indians (64%) say they have neither moved nor considered moving.
Lack of Awareness
The report highlights a significant lack of awareness about global warming among Indians.
“Only 10% of Indians claim to know ‘a lot’ about global warming, while 34% say they know ‘something’ about it. In stark contrast, the majority (54%) acknowledge they know ‘just a little’ (22%) or have ‘never heard of it’ (32%),” the report reveals.
Impact of Climate Change and Public Response
The report suggests that the majority of Indians foresee a variety of severe impacts due to global warming.
“Half or more anticipate that global warming will lead to ‘many more’ severe heat waves (60%), extinctions of plant and animal species (57%), droughts and water shortages (56%), severe cyclones (54%), and famines and food shortages (50%), with 46% predicting ‘many more’ severe floods,” it states.
Willingness to Act for a Greener Environment
The report indicates that a vast majority of Indians are already making efforts in their daily lives to protect the environment. A significant proportion (93%) affirm they are either “already doing this” (25%) or are “definitely” (54%) or “probably” (13%) willing to do so.
Conversely, only a few (7%) express reluctance, with 3% “probably” and 4% “definitely” unwilling to engage in such actions.
“Regarding their willingness to persuade family and friends to take eco-friendly actions, a large majority of Indians (92%) report they are either ‘already doing this’ (26%) or are ‘definitely’ (52%) or ‘probably’ (14%) willing to do so. In contrast, a small minority (7%) are ‘probably’ (4%) or ‘definitely’ (3%) unwilling,” the report concludes.