Climate Action Mandate Stronger Than Policymakers Realize

Lineated Barbet

12-09-2025

Upon checking their house’s droppings site, only Mr. Sparrow’s family pooped more than the permitted threshold. However, the village decides not to prohibit them from defecating because they seem to try really hard to eat less. The whole family of Mr. and Mrs. Sparrows is now emaciated, with only skin and bones being seen. Even their feathers molt seriously.

Mr. Sparrow’s family then flies to the middle and shows the village their severe malnutrition to prove they have tried their best to eat the least possible. All the birds show their sympathy and agree not to punish.

In “GHG Emissions”; Wild Wise Weird [1]

© Cartoon Camp

Climate change remains one of the defining challenges of our era, demanding bold and coordinated responses. Yet while policies often fall short of the ambition needed to meet international targets, public support for action is stronger than many policymakers realize [2,3].

A new study by Fang, Ettinger, and Innocenti [4] highlights this disconnect by examining perceptions among participants of the 2024 United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), the world’s highest-level environmental decision-making forum. Surveying 191 attendees from 53 countries—including government officials, multilateral institutions, NGOs, academia, and the private sector—the researchers asked delegates to estimate the share of people worldwide willing to contribute 1% of their income to climate action.

The results reveal a striking gap. In reality, 69% of people globally expressed such willingness. Yet UNEA attendees, on average, estimated only 38%—almost half the true figure [4]. Just 19% of respondents offered estimates that matched or exceeded the actual level of support. This underestimation was consistent across policymakers and non-policymakers alike, pointing to a pervasive misperception.

This matters because perceived public opinion can directly shape political priorities, negotiation strategies, and investment in climate solutions [5,6]. If delegates assume the public is reluctant to bear costs, they may hesitate to pursue ambitious policies—even when a strong social mandate exists. The study underscores how pluralistic ignorance—the widespread underestimation of others’ support for action—can quietly erode climate ambition.

Climate change is both a planetary and societal challenge [7]. Ecological resilience depends on human choices, while human well-being depends on ecological stability. Recognizing this interdependence strengthens the Nature Quotient among policymakers, institutions, and citizens, correcting misperceptions, aligning policy with public support, and acknowledging that humanity is more willing often assume to shoulder responsibility for safeguarding the Earth [8].

References

[1] Vuong QH. (2024). Wild Wise Weird. https://books.google.com/books?id=N10jEQAAQBAJ

[2] Matthews HD, Wynes S. (2022). Current global efforts are insufficient to limit warming to 1.5 °C. Science, 376, 1404-1409. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abo3378 

[3] Andre P, et al. (2024). Globally representative evidence on the actual and perceived support for climate action. Nature Climate Change, 14, 253-259 (2024). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-024-01925-3 

[4] Fang X, Ettinger J, Innocenti S. (2025). United Nations Environment Assembly attendees underestimate public willingness to contribute to climate action. Communications Earth & Environment, 6, 622. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02536-2 

[5] Burstein P. (2003). The impact of public opinion on public policy: A review and an agenda. Political Research Quarterly, 56, 29-40. https://doi.org/10.1177/106591290305600103 

[6] Anderson B, Böhmelt T, Ward, H. (2017). Public opinion and environmental policy output: a cross-national analysis of energy policies in Europe. Environmental Research Letters, 12, 114011. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa8f80 

[7] Nguyen MH. (2024). How can satirical fables offer us a vision for sustainability? Visions for Sustainability, 23(11267), 323-328. https://doi.org/10.13135/2384-8677/11267

[8] Vuong QH, Nguyen MH. (2025). On Nature Quotient. Pacific Conservation Biology, 31, PC25028. https://doi.org/10.1071/PC25028