With COP30 in Brazil fast approaching, new public opinion research from GlobeScan shows that a majority of people worldwide want their governments to lead by setting ambitious climate targets at the summit. This level of support is now higher in most countries than it was before COP21 in Paris in 2015.
Fifty-one percent of people across 33 countries and territories surveyed in July and August of this year said their country should play a leadership role at COP30 by setting ambitious targets to address climate change as quickly as possible. Another 41 percent prefer to take a more moderate approach and support only gradual action to address climate change, while only 8 percent of people say they do not want their country to agree to any international agreement that addresses climate change.
Latin American countries, including Brazil, show the strongest support for bold climate action, in contrast to more cautious views in parts of Europe and East Asia.
Support for Climate Action Has Grown Since COP21
Public appetite for climate leadership has increased since COP21. In 2015, 43 percent of people across 17 countries tracked over time wanted their governments to lead on ambitious climate targets. Today, in 2025, 53 percent of people in those same 17 countries call for strong leadership.
Compared to 2015, there have been significant increases in people’s desire for their country to take on a leadership role in countries like China (18% in 2015 vs 56% in 2025), Mexico (31% vs 61%), Kenya (46% vs 65%), India (38% vs 56%), and Brazil (49% vs 63%). In the USA, 54 percent now say their country should lead by setting ambitious climate targets at the summit, up from 45 percent ten years ago.
CEO of GlobeScan
GlobeScan’s global public opinion research program of evidence and insights helps influential organizations understand their material issues, societal trends, and public expectations.
This research consists of comparative and representative online surveys of 1,000 people in each of 33 countries (500 each in Hong Kong and Singapore and 1,500 in the USA) and draws on more than 25 years of global longitudinal research. The research includes responses from a diverse set of countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Türkiye, UK, USA, and Vietnam.
