Climate Change in the Indian Mind

The report reveals that while 50% of Indians have limited or no knowledge of global warming, 84% believe it is happening after receiving a definition, and 88% are worried about it. There is strong public support for transitioning from coal to renewable energy, with 82% favoring a ban on new coal plants and 86% supporting the national goal of net-zero carbon pollution by 2070. However, significant vulnerabilities persist, as 66% of respondents experience daily electricity disruptions and 43% lacked sufficient clean drinking water at least once in the past year.

• Indians express high levels of concern regarding local environmental hazards, with 77% worried about air pollution and severe heat waves, 76% about droughts and water shortages, 73% about severe cyclones, 72% about cloud bursts and severe rainfall, 67% about severe floods, and 60% about landslides.
• Household resilience to extreme weather is low; 81% of Indians state it would take several months or more to recover from a severe drought, and 74% say the same for a severe flood. Additionally, 28% have either moved or considered moving due to weather-related disasters.
• There is a gap between general awareness and belief in global warming: 50% of Indians report knowing 'just a little' or having 'never heard' of global warming, yet 84% believe it is happening once provided with a short definition. 54% attribute global warming primarily to human activities.
• Risk perceptions are high, with 88% of Indians worried about global warming and 92% stating the issue is personally important. Most believe it will harm future generations (85%), people in India (84%), and themselves and their families (77%), with 57% believing Indians are already being harmed.
• Public opinion strongly favors renewable energy over fossil fuels. Solar (77%), wind (64%), and hydroelectric dams (56%) are viewed as clean, while oil (76%) and coal (68%) are seen as polluting. 62% believe the best path to a prosperous future is to leave most of India's coal in the ground.
• There is broad support for government climate action and specific energy policies: 78% believe the government should do more to address global warming, 86% favor the commitment to reach net-zero carbon pollution by 2070, and 82% support banning new coal power plants and replacing them with solar and wind energy.
• Indians perceive the energy transition as a source of socio-economic benefit, with 56% believing it will increase jobs and 58% believing it will decrease air pollution. 87% believe the transition from coal to wind and solar would benefit people in India.
• While 80% of Indians follow environmental news and 79% discuss these issues with family and friends, media frequency is lower, with only 38% hearing about global warming in the media at least once a week.
• 69% of Indians express a willingness to pay more for an electric vehicle to reduce travel costs and global warming, with 34% willing to pay up to 10% more.
• Significant socio-economic challenges and infrastructure gaps exist: 66% experience daily electricity disruptions, 43% lacked enough clean drinking water for at least one day in the past year, and over half (61%) report that their income does not cover their needs.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2025). Climate Change in the Indian Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2026/07/climate-change-in-the-indian-mind-winter-2025-2026b.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the Indian Mind. 2025. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2026/07/climate-change-in-the-indian-mind-winter-2025-2026b.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/2026/07/climate-change-in-the-indian-mind-winter-2025-2026b.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/2026/07/climate-change-in-the-indian-mind-winter-2025-2026b.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }