A six-year view of environmental concern

Ahead of COP26, Glocalities and Global Citizen analysed six waves of environmental attitudes from 2014 to 2021. The research spans 20 countries and is based on 247,722 interviews with 181,695 respondents.

Concern is rising across society

Worry about human damage to the planet rose from 71% in 2014 to 78% in 2021, with the increase seen across demographic groups. Climate change is the leading environmental concern, followed by air and water pollution. In China and India, concern is more often framed around pollution.

Young people show the steepest increase

Among 18–24-year-olds, concern grew from 66% to 77%; 59% consider climate change a very serious problem. The report also explores how young people’s values shape the leadership they want, including narratives associated with the Hero, Creator and Sage archetypes.

Environmental concern crosses political divides

Concern about damage to the planet cuts across the usual progressive–conservative divide. People who are worried report greater trust in science (77% versus 63%) and in the United Nations (48% versus 33%) than those who are less concerned. Their trust in the UN also exceeds their trust in government (34%).

Shared values and willingness to act

The findings link environmental concern with commitments to cooperation, empathy and fairness. People are ready to act on their concerns through voting, signing petitions and donating.

Regional differences and leadership opportunities

North America was the only region where environmental concern declined after 2019. This coincided with sharp value polarization between Conservatives and Creatives, especially in the United States. Across regions, the findings point to opportunities for leaders to build support for climate action around shared concerns.