Ipsos: How War & Inflation Have Deprioritised Climate Change
In recent years, climate change has consistently ranked as the issue that concerns people the most, all over the world. However, that priority has shifted in 2025, according to a revealing study published this week by global research firm Ipsos.
The change has not been moderate either. This year, public concern over climate change has fallen sharply behind concerns of war and economic instability, with geopolitical turmoil and the cost of living crisis being ever-present issues throughout 2025.
Ipsos' 2025 Global Consumer Awareness Survey, which was published in collaboration with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), covers 50 countries and surveyed more than 40,000 respondents.
It found that war and conflict now dominates public worries at 52%, whilst climate change trails at just 31%. Worryingly, that represents a 21-percentage-point gap in the global snapshot, despite 2024 being the hottest year on record.
European economies register steepest declines
The findings reveal particularly stark shifts across Europe's largest economies.
The UK recorded the sharpest drop of all, with climate concern falling from 45% in 2022 to 35% in 2025 – a 10-point decline matched only by Denmark, where concerns fell from 51% to 41%.
Elsewhere, Germany saw climate concern drop from 42% to 34%, while France declined from 52% to 45% and Spain registered a shift from 44% to 37.5%.
These declines come at a time when the EU is advancing its ambitious programme of climate legislation, creating what observers describe as a growing disconnect between policy momentum and public engagement.
"This concern gap shows why we must work with the concrete realities of people's lives if we are to address climate change effectively," say Subhra Bhattacharjee, Director General and CEO of the FSC.
Forests will be a climate battleground going forward
While abstract concern over climate change has declined, the survey reveals that people are continuing to experience climate impacts directly through forests.
The loss of plant and animal species, deforestation, wildfires, droughts and floods all consistently rank among the most pressing forestry concerns across markets surveyed.
In Latin America, for instance, illegal logging ranks first at 25% for forest-related concerns, with the region being the only one where both forest fires and deforestation appear among top environmental worries.
Elsewhere, Canada saw climate change concerns drop even as wildfires dominate 46% of residents' immediate forestry fears.
The survey speaks to the dual role of forests, which are both highly vulnerable to climate change and essential to tackling it.
Is consumer behaviour contradicting the pattern of declining concern over climate?
Despite levels of concern slipping, Ipsos' research indicates that 72% of global consumers prefer products that do not harm plants or animals.
"Even if climate change isn't always top of mind, people are increasingly voting with their wallets," says Helen Chepkemoi Too, Senior Director of Markets at FSC.
"They want sustainable choices – and they reward brands that can prove their impact."
Recognition of the FSC label correlates with higher levels of trust in brands, suggesting that climate-conscious choices remain a powerful driver of loyalty and reputation.
Subhra notes the contradiction: "The survey shows a clear contradiction: people report lower worry about climate change, and yet they reward brands that can prove sustainability."
Even if climate change isn't always top of mind, people are increasingly voting with their wallets. They want sustainable choices – and they reward brands that can prove their impact.
The regional variations
As with most research, the headline trend in this study does mask some significant variations from region to region. South Korea, for instance, has the highest levels of climate change concern among all the 50 countries that were surveyed, while Japan and Thailand also showed rising concern levels.
But elsewhere in the APAC region, Australia and China recorded the sharpest declines in concern.
Brazil bucked the global trend dramatically, with climate change concern nearly doubling from 18% in 2022 to 33% in 2025. With COP30 set to take place in Brazil in a matter of days, this surge becomes all the more pertinent.
Kenya, however, saw public concern fall sharply by 12 points from 42% to 30% since 2022.
The implications for climate policy
The findings arrive as policymakers and businesses are wading through several concurrent crises, from geopolitical instability to the persistent pressure that inflation is putting on people and enterprises alike.
Following on from the findings, the FSC has called for the introduction of some integrated strategies that can address environmental action alongside social and economic security. The organisation strongly warns against the deprioritising of climate solutions in the face of immediate crises.
The results were presented at the FSC General Assembly in Panama this week, where global stakeholders are debating the future of responsible forest management.
The survey suggests that making climate action tangible in daily life – rather than abstract – may be essential to maintaining momentum on environmental goals.
For businesses, the disconnect between stated concern and purchasing behaviour presents both a challenge and an opportunity in demonstrating credible sustainability credentials.
