---
title: "U.S., Middle East publics less concerned about climate change than those in other nations"
description: "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."
date: "2013-11-11"
authors:
  - name: "Bruce Drake"
    job_title: "Former Senior Editor"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/bruce-drake/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2013/11/11/u-s-middle-east-less-concerned-about-climate-change-than-those-in-other-nations/"
categories:
  - "Climate, Energy & Environment"
  - "Environment & Climate"
  - "Issue Priorities"
  - "News Media Trends"
---

# U.S., Middle East publics less concerned about climate change than those in other nations

[![](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2013/11/FT_13.11.11_climateChange.png){.alignright width=280}](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2013/06/24/climate-change-and-financial-instability-seen-as-top-global-threats/)

The [UN Climate Change Conference](http://www.un.org/climatechange/blog/2013/11/11/cop-19cmp-9-begins-with-calls-for-governments-to-harness-strong-groundswell-of-action-on-climate-change/) convened today in Warsaw with a call for governments to “harness” what it called a “strong groundswell of action” 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.

While a [Pew Research Survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/11/01/gop-deeply-divided-over-climate-change/) last month found 67% of Americans believe there is solid evidence of global warming and 44% of them blame it on human activity, a [global survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2013/06/24/climate-change-and-financial-instability-seen-as-top-global-threats/) of 39 nations last spring found that 40% of Americans regarded global climate change as a major threat to the U.S.

By contrast, a median of 54% or more of publics in Canada, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America and Africa saw global warming as a major threat to their countries. Concern was highest in Latin America (65%) and the Asian Pacific (56%). An [opening statement](http://news.yahoo.com/un-climate-change-talks-open-warsaw-094111708.html) at the Warsaw climate conference took particular note of the deadly typhoon that this weekend left many part of the Philippines devastated. Nearly two-thirds in the Philippines (66%) said climate change was a top concern in the spring survey.

The only region in the spring survey where public concern about climate change as a danger was as low as in the U.S. was the Middle East (42%).

In Pew Research’s [annual survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/01/24/deficit-reduction-rises-on-publics-agenda-for-obamas-second-term/) in January on the public’s priorities for this year, just 28% cited the need to deal with global warming, putting it at the bottom of the list. [Another survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/02/21/if-no-deal-is-struck-four-in-ten-say-let-the-sequester-happen/) in February found that 34% said it was “essential” for the president and Congress to enact new climate change policies this year while 39% said it could be done in the next few years. About one-fifth (19%) said new climate policies should not be enacted at all.

A Gallup poll conducted in January produced similar findings, although its question was a different one. Asked how much of a priority those surveyed put on enacting “a law increasing government spending to find ways to reduce the effects of climate change," 22% said it was a top priority, 28% said it was an important priority but not a top one, and 49% responded that it was not an important priority.

When Americans were asked a question in a [September survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/09/26/continued-support-for-keystone-xl-pipeline/) about a specific policy involving global warming — as opposed to how high they rank it as an overall concern — a big majority (65%) backed putting limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.