The public in seven large countries in the Global South sees respiratory disease as a higher policy priority than climate change, even though most people agree that climate change is the most pressing long-term global problem, according to a study published in Nature Climate Change.

Researchers surveyed 8,400 respondents in Chile, Colombia, India, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Vietnam. While climate action was acknowledged as important, healthcare and traditional policy areas generally ranked higher when respondents were forced to choose among competing needs.

“Our results highlight the gap between general concern about climate change and the willingness to prioritize it when trade-offs are required,” said Richard T. Carson, lead author of the study and professor at the University of California, San Diego.

Health Tops the Agenda

The findings demonstrate how public support for climate policy in the Global South is shaped not only by awareness of global risks but also by immediate health and social pressures. Across all seven countries, reducing respiratory diseases emerged as the top health priority, surpassing concerns over malaria, HIV/AIDS, and cancer.

Carson said this indicates that the health co-benefits of cutting fossil fuel use, such as cleaner air, may resonate strongly with citizens.

When asked directly about the importance of climate change, respondents rated it highly, averaging 4.6 on a five-point scale. However, when pitted against 12 other public programs, climate action often fell behind healthcare, education, and crime reduction efforts.

In Vietnam, climate was ranked among the top three national priorities, whereas in Nigeria and South Africa, it was placed in the bottom third.

How to Spend Carbon Tax Revenue

The study also sheds light on public attitudes toward carbon tax revenue, a divisive issue in climate policy.

Respondents strongly favored earmarking revenues for health and education programs, subsidies for solar power, and research and development to cut clean energy costs.

By contrast, refunding carbon tax proceeds equally to all citizens or using them to reduce budget deficits ranked lowest across all countries.

“Our analysis shows people are much more supportive of climate policies when they are linked to tangible social benefits,” Carson said. “Investments in schools, hospitals, or affordable solar panels clearly resonate more than abstract fiscal measures.”

Trust in Scientists Drives Climate Knowledge

Trust in information sources proved another critical factor in shaping climate knowledge. Scientists were the most trusted source in every country except Vietnam, where they still ranked in the top three.

High trust in scientists was associated with roughly twice the gain in climate knowledge compared with having a college degree.

Respondents also placed significant trust in national governments and non-governmental organizations, especially in African countries. Social media drew considerable attention but minimal trust.

The survey found that 85 percent of respondents in the Global South correctly identified climate change as man-made, compared with 75 percent in previous studies of the Global North.

However, participants answered about 20 percent fewer factual climate questions correctly than their global north counterparts, suggesting that while basic recognition of human causation is widespread, understanding of the science and long-term consequences lags behind.

Strong Support, But Competing Priorities

Support for strong climate action was evident in broad agreement with the statement that climate change is the most important long-term challenge facing the world.

Respondents also agreed that rich countries should be doing more, that corruption allows major polluters to escape accountability, and that investments in clean technologies are essential. By contrast, very few endorsed delaying action or dismissing the role of fossil fuels.

Carson noted that these attitudes underscore the risks of relying on simplified polling questions that show high support for climate action without accounting for real-world trade-offs.

“Policymakers must understand that while people recognize the urgency of climate change, their immediate priorities often lie elsewhere,” he said.

The research comes at a time when developing nations are pressing for more international finance to fund climate adaptation and mitigation. The survey suggests that framing policies around health, education, and clean technology could help governments build broader public support.

“Climate policies that also address people’s everyday concerns, such as healthcare and air quality, are more likely to gain traction,” Carson said.

The authors hope that their rank-order approach, which forces respondents to make explicit trade-offs, will be adopted more widely in assessing climate views across developing countries. They cautioned that the results reflect internet-enabled populations, but the patterns reveal consistent themes in how people weigh climate policy against other pressing needs.

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