Environment & Climate

An international panel of scientists warned yesterday of that the world is already experiencing the effects of climate change and it will get worse -- highlighting a problem that people in many countries see as a major threat.

More than six decades of global temperature data, condensed into a 15-second visualization.

The UN Climate Change Conference convened today in Warsaw with a call for governments to reach an agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The talks begin against a public opinion backdrop in which fewer Americans see global climate change as a major threat than do people in most other regions.

China and the U.S., the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, are among the least worried about climate change.

Four-in-ten Americans see global climate change as a major threat to the U.S., fewer than publics in other countries.

Senior research staff answer questions from readers relating to all the areas covered by our seven projects, ranging from polling techniques and findings, to media, technology, religious, demographic and global attitudes trends.

Overview As the global economy begins to rebound from the great recession, people around the world remain deeply concerned with the way things are going in their countries. Less than a third of the publics in most nations say they are satisfied with national conditions, as overwhelming numbers say their economies are in bad shape. […]

As leaders convene in Copenhagen to discuss climate change, they will address a concern shared around the globe. Publics are willing to sacrifice economic growth for the environment, but nations are split on which country should lead on global warming.

Publics around the world see climate change as a major problem, and many are willing to make sacrifices to address global warming and the environment. But nations are split on which country should lead on this issue.

The image of the United States has improved markedly in most parts of the world reflecting global confidence in Barack Obama. In many countries, opinions of the U.S. are now about as positive as they were at the beginning of the decade before George W. Bush took office.