Human Activities Deemed Primary Cause of Climate Change by Indonesian Citizens

The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication released a report titled Climate Change and Energy in the Indonesian Mind. One of the phenomena investigated was the causes of climate change occurring in the country.

The results show that 65% of respondents in Indonesia believe that climate change is caused by human activities.

Furthermore, 31% of respondents stated that it is caused by natural changes in the environment, and 1% believe there are other factors.

Meanwhile, only 1% of respondents said that climate change is not happening, and another 2% answered that they don't know.

The survey also found that only a small portion of the Indonesian public is aware of climate change.

It was noted that only 2% of respondents claimed to understand climate change very well, and 20% had a moderate understanding.

"To make appropriate decisions in response to a threat, individuals, policymakers, and the public need to have basic awareness and understanding of that threat," Yale wrote in its report.

Nevertheless, Yale believes that a low level of knowledge regarding the term "climate change" does not mean that the public is not concerned about climate change.

This research indicates that many Indonesians have observed climate change and weather patterns around them, even if they do not yet fully understand its broader connection to the issue of climate change.

This study involved 2,000 respondents aged 18 and above, spread throughout Indonesia. Data collection was conducted from June 15 to July 17, 2025, through interviews, with a survey margin of error of approximately 2.2% and a 95% confidence level.