New YPCCC Survey Reveals Strong Climate Concern and Support for Action in India

A new nationally representative survey conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) and CVoter International finds that nearly nine in ten people in India say they have personally experienced global warming, and large majorities support stronger government action to address it.

“India is already experiencing climate impacts, from record heatwaves to severe floods to stronger storms,”  Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the YPCCC, said.

The report, Climate Change in the Indian Mind, Spring 2025, shows that 96% of Indians believe global warming is happening, 90% are worried, including 58% who are “very worried," and 78% say the government should be doing more. Public support for policies is also strong, with overwhelming majorities backing renewable energy training programs, public education campaigns, and funding for women’s groups and Indigenous communities.

This new research builds on YPCCC’s ongoing work, including its India Climate Opinion Maps, which provide state- and district-level insights into public climate change beliefs, attitudes, and policy support. The full report is available on YPCCC’s website.

August 21, 2025

sunset over an agricultural field in India

Anthony Leiserowitz

JoshAni-TomKat Professor of Climate Communication; Director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC)

More News in Brief

Federal Ginseng Rules Poorly Predict Plant Health

A YSE-led study published in Environmental Research Letters found that current federal rules regulating American ginseng harvest — based on plant age and leaf count — poorly predict the biological traits that matter most for conservation.

Ginseng, a wild plant prized in traditional medicine, can only be legally harvested once it's at least five years old and has three leaves.  However, when researchers measured hundreds of ginseng plants, they found that age was a weak guide to how large a plant's root had grown or how many seeds it could produce. 

The authors say switching to size-based harvest limits could do more to protect ginseng in the wild, while also making the rules easier for harvesters and forest farmers to follow.

The study was led by Karam C. Sheban ’26 PhD, and co-authored by Mark Bradford, the E.H. Harriman Professor of Soils and Ecosystem Ecology, and  Marlyse C. Duguid, the Thomas J. Siccama Senior Lecturer in Field Ecology.

July 15, 2026

Direct Link

two ginsent plants growing in a forest

Mark Bradford

E.H. Harriman Professor of Soils and Ecosystem Ecology

Marlyse Duguid

Thomas J. Siccama Senior Lecturer in Field Ecology; Research Scientist; Director of Research, Yale Forests

Most Americans Say Climate Change Is Raising Their Bills

A new survey from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication finds that two-thirds of registered voters think global warming is affecting the cost of living in the United States a view shared across the political spectrum. Energy is the cost Americans feel most acutely: a quarter of voters point to energy costs as the expense most impacted by global warming, more than food, transportation, or insurance. Looking specifically at utilities, 66% of registered voters think global warming is causing their home utility bills to rise. The findings suggest energy affordability could be a unifying entry point for climate conversations, offering a way to discuss climate change that resonates regardless of political affiliation

Read the full Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2026 report from YPCCC.

June 22, 2026

Direct Link

Graph from YPCCC report

Anthony Leiserowitz

JoshAni-TomKat Professor of Climate Communication; Director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC)

The Importance of Tracking Earth-System Methane Fluxes

Methane is one of the most powerful levers for slowing near‑term warming, yet the world still lacks the tools to track it with confidence. Sparkle Malone, assistant professor of ecosystem carbon capture, explains why a coordinated global observation system is essential for understanding both human and natural methane emissions. 

Read the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture Q&A with YSE faculty Sparkle Malone.

May 07, 2026

Direct Link

Sparkle Malone

Assistant Professor of Ecosystem Carbon Capture