Citizens in a majority of 32 countries sampled in a global study fear for future generations if climate change isn’t immediately addressed.
Ipsos, in its 2025 People & Climate Change study, reached out globally to over 1,000 individuals in countries from Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Spain, and the US, and 500 individuals each in Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and Türkiye.
Global climate change fears
In India, the sample consisted of approximately 2,200 individuals, of whom nearly 1,800 were interviewed face-to-face.
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries included in the study were Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand.
The Philippines (82 per cent), Indonesia (81 per cent) and Thailand (75 per cent) recorded the greatest fear about failing future generations by not taking urgent action on climate change. The Philippines and Indonesia led the world in this concern, well ahead of the global average of 64 per cent.
As many as 90 per cent of people in the Philippines were worried about the impact of climate change on their country, followed by Indonesia (87 per cent), and Singapore and Japan (both 81 per cent). All the figures were well above the global average of 74 per cent. New Zealand (69 per cent), India (65 per cent) and Australia (64 per cent) were among those below the global average.
However, concerns about the impact of a lack of action on future generations dropped the most in Japan, from 59 per cent in 2021 to 40 per cent in 2025. In India, it dropped from 69 per cent in 2021 to 54 per cent in 2025. New Zealand and Australia also recorded a drop, to 62 per cent and 56 per cent respectively, from 69 per cent in 2021.
Hamish Munro, CEO, Ipsos APEC, commented: “APEC nations are the most concerned globally about the future of our planet if immediate action isn’t taken on climate change. The economic and social impact from climate change is becoming a more regular ‘event’, heightening awareness and the need for individuals and businesses to act now to future-proof our planet.
“Most APEC nations expect their government to tackle climate change, saying they were confident in their plans, particularly around collaboration with businesses and the community. This demonstrates the need for governments to lead in the climate change action space and reassure citizens that it’s possible to address climate change now, and into the future through policy and regulatory change.”
Most APEC nations believe their governments have a clear plan for how government, businesses, and people are going to work together to tackle climate change. Six in 10 people in Indonesia and Malaysia were confident in their government’s plans, followed by 58 per cent in Singapore and Thailand and 56 per cent in India. These were far higher than the global average of 32 per cent.
There was a mixed concern among APEC nations on the impact of the transition to green energy. In some countries, like Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, around half of those surveyed believe transitioning to renewable energy will lead to an increase in household energy prices. That number dropped to 39 per cent in India and 34 per cent in the Philippines.
Only 44 per cent of respondents in India believed that the past 10 years have been the warmest on record – the lowest level globally. In Thailand, 68 per cent of people agreed that climate change is the single biggest threat facing humanity.
