Image by Devon Chandler from Pixabay | Oxfam
Climate change has been described as the defining issue of our time for more than thirty years. Yet recent data suggests a weakening of public apprehension toward climate change, even as pronounced environmental anomalies increase. Evidence of the crisis is apparent everywhere: record-breaking heatwaves, wildfires, and floods. Still, concerns seem to be diminishing. Why is this?
A Change in Global Sentiment
The UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) has implemented the People’s Climate Vote 2024, the largest public opinion survey on climate change to date. The survey found that even though almost two-thirds of people still consider climate change a global emergency, fewer people view it as their top concern [1]. Economic uncertainty, conflict, and health care have surpassed climate as a priority issue in several countries.
Similarly, new research from the Pew Research Centre shows that while most Americans accept climate science, fewer Americans describe climate change as an “immediate crisis” [2]. Research in Europe and Asia report similar findings: there is an emotional change taking place on a broad scale.
Why the Worry Is Waning
1. Climate Fatigue and Psychological Burnout
Many are suffering from climate fatigue after decades of being told the same worst-case scenarios. Emotionally, humans can become less affected by warnings of a crisis narrative that is consistently beating the drum for alarm, yet very little is visibly happening. Every year is declared the “hottest on record,” which becomes a meaningless message, even when the science remains urgent [3].
2. Competing Global Crises
The COVID-19 pandemic, increasing financial instability, and many other geopolitical tensions, especially today, have refocused people’s priorities. According to the UNDP, people are primed to respond to threats, whether related to health, work, or food prices, rather than risky conditions that are more abstract and have an uncertain time frame, being a direct correlation to the climate [1].
3. Faith in Innovation
Increasing optimism for technology is changing people’s assessments of climate risks. Technological advancements, such as in AI, or renewable energy storage, create support for the belief that human innovation alone will “fix it.” While this informs technological optimism, it empowers action on climate change but can lessen the sense of urgency that has characterised climate activism [4].
4. From Apocalypse to Adaptation
Governments and businesses are reframing climate change, no longer focusing exclusively on prevention, but rather on a framework of resilience and adaptation. Resilience programs, which mitigate the effects of the problem rather than the problem itself, suggest a world that is accepting and preparing to live with climate change rather than fighting to halt climate change. The UN Environment Programme explained this adaptive framing a reduces ‘ecological anxieties’, which while sounding a good thing, might remove some pressure for rapid emissions reductions 5.
5. A Sense of Powerlessness
Even among those who are critical, there is a widening sense that people’s individual actions, like thrift shopping, recycling, and driving electric, are dwarfed by the kinds of emissions produced by industries. Research from the Yale Program on Climate Change found that many people’s answer to that question will be a sense of “eco-paralysis,” that their contributions do not matter to a greater extent [5]. Furthermore, the primary way that people would ‘make a difference’ was through spreading awareness, with actions such as protests aimed to force the government to ‘act’. The world is now well aware of the problem, leaving most with no options.
What This Means for the Climate Movement
This diminishing of fear carries both risks and opportunities. Panic can lead to burnout, but a less fearful and more realistic public may lend support for action that is needed over the longer term. Meanwhile, if people are less anxious, it may undermine political urgency at a time when policy and decisive action are most needed.
The UNDP is alerting that declining public concern may slow investment in renewable infrastructure and delay the progress of the Paris Agreement [1]. Nevertheless, this shift may represent maturation, rather than indifference. As supported in the World Bank’s Climate Change Action Plan 2025-2030, societies are moving “away from fear-based engagement to solution-based participation” [6].
Bill Gate’s New Stance on Climate Change
Bill Gates, once one of the most influential people and possible the greater advocate for decarbonisation, now argues for what he calls “climate reality.” In his article Three Tough Truths About Climate, Gates acknowledged that climate change is a serious problem but not an existential threat to humanity. He advised policymakers to invest in mitigating human suffering, especially in health and poverty reduction, while also cutting emissions, however he made it clear that quality of life comes before climate [7].
In CNN interviews from October 2025 and NBC News coverage the following day, Gates restated that economic development in the developing world and climate mitigation should progress simultaneously [8, 9]. He criticised “doomism,” suggesting that exaggerated fear can cause paralysis rather than action. Gates also denounced “climate fatalism,” arguing that such narratives can leave people paralysed rather than moving forward. His ideas attracted significant attention, and some journalists and analysts, such as Green Central Banking, concluded that Gates’ argument separating poverty reduction from climate mitigation was a disservice, because equitable climate action is itself an investment in economic justice [10]. Nevertheless, Gates’ vision reflects a broader global sentiment: climate change is a challenge that can be managed, not the end of civilisation.
Looking Ahead
The coming years will determine whether this realistic optimism strengthens or weakens collective action. If advances in clean energy and adaptation are visibly altering daily lives for the better, this optimism will improve.
The International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2025 reported the fastest growth for solar, wind, and batteries, suggesting that real world progress is underway [11]. Therefore, much of the public belief in technology is evidence-based, not dismissive of reality.
Ultimately, perception matters as much as policy. If people believe that climate action leads to cleaner cities, better jobs, and lower energy bills, they will hang on. As Gates noted, “The goal is not to stop worrying, but to worry constructively” [7].
Conclusion
Although public concern about climate change may be declining, global awareness of its importance and impacts remains pronounced. It seems humanity is moving away from panic to pragmatism. If this shift means that humans can take a more calm, clear-minded approach to what is so often called a ‘climate crisis’ then a real positive shift can occur.
References
[1] United Nations Development Pro, “People’s Climate Vote 2024”
[2] Pew Research Center, “Why Some Americans Do Not See Urgency on Climate Change” https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/08/09/why-some-americans-do-not-see-urgency-on-climate-change/
[3] BBC, “Beyond Carbon Footprints: The Science of the Most Impactful Climate Actions” https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250930-beyond-carbon-footprints-the-science-of-the-most-impactful-climate-actions
[4] UN Environment Programme, “Adaptation Gap Report 2024” https://www.unep.org/resources/adaptation-gap-report-2024
[5] Yale, “Eco-Anxiety and Climate Engagement” https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/
[6] World Bank, “Climate Change Action Plan 2025–2030” https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/climatechange/publication/climate-change-action-plan
[7] Bill Gates, “Three Tough Truths About Climate” https://www.gatesnotes.com/home/home-page-topic/reader/three-tough-truths-about-climate
[8] CNN, “Bill Gates Says Climate Change Won’t End Humanity—but Poverty Still Might” https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/28/business/bill-gates-climate-change
[9] NBC News, “Bill Gates’ New Climate Memo Sparks Debate Among Scientists” https://www.nbcnews.com/science/climate-change/bill-gates-climate-change-memo-rcna240225
[10] Green Central Banking, “Bill Gates Is Wrong—Fixing the Climate Will Also Reduce Poverty,” Green Central Banking, Nov. 4, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://greencentralbanking.com/2025/11/04/bill-gates-is-wrong-fixing-the-climate-will-also-reduce-poverty/
[11] International Energy Agency, “World Energy Outlook 2025,” https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2025
