IMF Says Public Support Needed to Change Climate Policies

While people care about global warming, a new report from the International Monetary Fund shows that those concerns don’t necessarily translate into support for climate-friendly policies.

The IMF posted the results of a YouGov survey, which included responses from people across 28 countries to document the relationship between environmental concerns and climate-mitigation efforts. The study found that most people see climate change as a threat. However, a number of other factors affect whether people will back policies aimed at lowering greenhouse-gas emissions. For example, researchers concluded that effective communication about a policy’s impact and the associated costs would likely increase support for climate change initiatives.