International Public Opinion on Climate Change
Provided by: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Data, Graphs, and Maps
Subjects: Science, Economics, Civics, English Language Arts
Authors: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This report summarizes the results of a 2021 Facebook survey about climate change from respondents all over the world.
- Students can read the data summary and observe numerous charts that provide the details of survey responses by country.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This report shows the global consensus surrounding some aspects of climate change; particularly that it is happening, it is harmful, there is global support for the Paris Agreement, and that people want their governments to do more to address it.
- Students could use this resource to evaluate the reasons why people in certain countries might not be as worried about climate change or why they may be more worried about climate change.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should know how to read a bar graph.
- This survey was only offered to people who had been active on Facebook in January or February of 2021, so this may not be a representative analysis of public opinion in the countries identified.
Differentiation
- Math classes could evaluate the information in the data and graphs and discuss data collection and survey data in general as applications of math in society.
- Language arts classes could discuss the influence of media reporting and advertising on public opinion and connect to the topics of free speech, spreading misinformation, and media literacy.
- Social studies and civics classes could use this report to discuss solutions to problems that benefit society and cultural or historical differences in communities that shape their perceptions of global issues.
The resource explores the people's perception of climate change through Facebook social media. Although the study and method used were rigorous, limitations are in the sampling technique as the most vulnerable populations impacted by climate change are not Facebook users. However, this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
