IMF Calls for Stronger Climate Change Propaganda to Boost Flagging Public Support

The International Monetary Fund logo inside the headquarters at the end of the IMF/World Bank annual meetings in Washington on Oct. 9, 2016. Yuri Gripas/Reuters

The International Monetary Fund has called for stronger climate change propaganda, after noting a lack of public interest for their costly solutions.

The United Nations-run financial agency has been attempting to drum up support through various polls to propagate climate change ideology and convince people around the world to get on board.

Although a majority surveyed said they cared about global warming, it did lead to widespread support for the international climate policy agenda, according to an IMF report published on Feb. 9.

The report was done in conjunction with an international YouGov survey, which surveyed almost 30,000 individuals from 28 countries and across four continents, to document the relationship between concern for climate change and public support for efforts to mitigate it.

The researchers conducted the study between July and August 2022, to measure support for carbon pricing, regulations, and subsidies for clean technology, as well as renewables.

During the period the survey was taken, high energy prices were a major issue for many respondents.

Opposition to Green Agenda

It appears that most respondents did not want or were reluctant to accept costly solutions to address climate change, despite their concern for the planet.

There are several factors that led to a reduction in support of implementing measures to mitigate climate change, such as concerns about corruption in the green energy industry and resulting massive price spikes.

“There is a long way to go to keep global warming below 1.5 to 2 degrees compared with pre-industrial times,” said Bo Li, a deputy managing director at the IMF, in a statement.

“Closing this gap will require ambitious and carefully calibrated policies that accelerate the green transition. But even the smartest policies cannot succeed without support from the public,” said Li.

The researchers believed that there needed to be better communication about a climate policy impact and the associated costs, in order to boost support for climate change initiatives.

“Overall, the surveys underscore the critical importance of effective communication and building awareness with respect to climate policy options,” said the IMF report.

“There remains significant scope for improving overall knowledge of climate change impacts and policies across all countries.”

“Further, the interventions highlight how even small amounts of information on policy benefits can engender greater support,” the researchers concluded.

Climate Change Propaganda

The authors of the IMF report said that governments need to provide “clear and effective communication about policy efficacy and trade-offs.”

“The survey shows that there are big gaps in the public’s knowledge and support for key policies,” said Li, explaining that there needed to be country-specific efforts to influence populations on emission reduction policies.

It was found that women and people with higher levels of education tended to be more worried about global warming.

The majority of those surveyed in both advanced and poorer countries agreed that all countries must finance efforts to combat global warming, said the study.

“Our goal is to help governments increase support for strong climate action, including joint measures across borders,” said Li.

“We need to work together to solve this existential threat to our shared planet,” he concluded.