Climate Change in the Indian Mind

A Spring 2025 survey of 2,164 Indian adults reveals high levels of concern and personal experience with global warming, with 90% of respondents worried and 89% reporting personal experience of its effects. While a majority believe global warming is human-caused and support a transition to renewable energy, significant knowledge gaps exist regarding specific causes, such as livestock emissions. The report also highlights severe vulnerability, with 64% of households requiring several months to recover from a severe flood and 30% having moved or considered moving due to weather-related disasters.

• Public awareness of global warming in India is mixed; while 44% of adults know 'just a little' or have never heard of it, 96% believe global warming is happening after receiving a short definition.
• A majority of Indians attribute global warming to human activity (58%), though there are misconceptions about its causes: 84% incorrectly believe plastic pollution causes it, and 37% attribute it to 'Gods’ will'.
• Personal experience and worry regarding climate change are very high, with 89% of respondents stating they have personally experienced the effects of global warming and 90% expressing worry about the issue.
• There is strong public support for the Indian government's goal of reaching net zero carbon pollution by 2070, with 86% of respondents favoring the commitment.
• While 84% favor replacing coal power plants with solar and wind energy, over half of the population fears this transition will lead to electricity outages (56%), unemployment (55%), or higher prices (54%).
• Public willingness to engage in climate activism is high, with 73% stating they would participate in social demonstrations if asked by someone they respect, although only 16% actually did so in the past year.
• Significant gaps exist in disaster warning systems, as 36% of Indians report they do not receive advance warnings for extreme weather events like heat waves, floods, or cyclones.
• Economic and social vulnerability is acute, with 64% of households needing several months or more to recover from a severe flood and 43% reporting they have no friends or relatives to count on for help in trouble.
• Climate-induced migration is a notable trend, with 30% of respondents having either already moved or considered moving due to weather-related disasters.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2025). Climate Change in the Indian Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2025/08/climate-change-in-the-indian-mind-spring-2025.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the Indian Mind. 2025. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2025/08/climate-change-in-the-indian-mind-spring-2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the Indian Mind |date=2025 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2025/08/climate-change-in-the-indian-mind-spring-2025.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2025climate, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the Indian Mind}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2025}, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2025/08/climate-change-in-the-indian-mind-spring-2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }