Editing IPCC:AR6/WGII/Chapter-14 (section)

=== 14.3.2 Public Perceptions, Opinions and Understanding of Climate Change ===

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In a 2018 survey across 26 nations, people in Canada and Mexico ranked climate change as the top global threat, whereas in the USA climate change ranked third ( [[#Poushter--2019|Poushter and Huang, 2019]] ). The public’s responses to the causes of climate change and risk perceptions in Canada ( [[#Mildenberger--2016|Mildenberger et al., 2016]] ) and the USA ( [[#Howe--2015|Howe et al., 2015]] ) have revealed variations among regions (Figure 14.3) and less acceptance of climate change in rural regions than in urban areas. Canadian regions have higher acceptance of climate change (e.g., recognise it is happening and attributable to human activity) than the most liberal areas in the USA ( [[#Lachapelle--2012|Lachapelle et al., 2012]] ; [[#Mildenberger--2016|Mildenberger et al., 2016]] ). Western Canadian regions with high carbon intensity economies had lower acceptance of climate change than the rest of Canada, whereas in the USA perceptions were more stable across regions ( [[#Lachapelle--2012|Lachapelle et al., 2012]] ). A recent survey in Mexico found that for 73% of respondents climate change represents a major economic, environmental and social threat, and in the most vulnerable states (MX-SE), the perception is that climate-change impacts and extreme events have considerable implications for the way of life in communities ( [[#Zamora%20Saenz--2018|Zamora Saenz, 2018]] ). In a 2017 survey, [[#Azócar--2021|Azócar et al. (2021)]] found that 85% of respondents from Mexico acknowledged anthropogenic climate change. Peoples’ experience with extreme events (e.g., hurricanes, high temperatures), socio-demographic characteristics, level of marginalisation and economic and social exclusion, as well as education levels, were important factors influencing perception of climate change in Mexico ( [[#Corona-Jimenez--2018|Corona-Jimenez, 2018]] ; [[#Alfie--2021|Alfie and Cruz-Bello, 2021]] ; [[#Azócar--2021|Azócar et al., 2021]] ). Drawing upon Indigenous knowledge (see Box 14.1) as well as lived experience of recent changes in ice, weather patterns, and species’ phenology and distribution, Indigenous Peoples recognise that change is occurring in their communities and have effective solutions that are grounded in Indigenous world views ( [[#Harrington--2006|Harrington, 2006]] ; [[#Turner--2009|Turner and Clifton, 2009]] ; [[#Norton-Smith--2016a|Norton-]] [[#Smith--2016a|Smith et al., 2016a]] ; [[#Savo--2016|Savo et al., 2016]] ; [[#Maldonado--2017|Maldonado et al., 2017]] ; Chisholm [[#Hatfield--2018|Hatfield et al., 2018]] ).

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'''Figure 14.3 |''' '''Regional distribution of public perception that ‘the Earth is getting warmer’ as a surrogate for public acceptance that climate change is happening (percent of population).''' Scale is the Canadian federal electoral district or riding level and US congressional district. The three northern territories and Labrador, in Canada, did not meet population thresholds for modelling. The figure updates [[#Mildenberger--2016|Mildenberger et al. (2016)]] and is based on equivalent public surveys in both countries: Canadian ‘Earth is getting warmer’ and US ‘global warming is happening’ undertaken in 2019. Equivalent surveys and modelling for Mexico are not available at the time of writing.

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