Same science, different views: People and societies look at the same evidence on climate change and reach different perspectives. Many factors shape them.
The points to remember
- Views differ on whether it is happening, why, and how serious it is.
- They differ most on what to do, how fast, and who should pay.
- Personal perspectives belong to one person; societal ones are shared by a group or country.
- Perspectives change over time, with new information and new experiences.
Real example (SL): Yale's Six Americas. Since 2008, a Yale team has sorted Americans into six groups, from Alarmed to Dismissive. In late 2024, 26% were Alarmed and only 10% Dismissive; more than half (54%) were Alarmed or Concerned.
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An individual's perspective depends on who they are, where they live and what they value. Vulnerability, how much a person could lose, matters a lot.
The points to remember
- Age: the young will live longer with the effects; many older people worry for their grandchildren.
- Income and job: a coal miner may fear losing work; an engineer in solar power sees jobs.
- Where you live: people on low coasts or in drylands feel the effects; others may not yet.
- Experience: living through a flood, fire or heatwave often makes people more concerned.
- Health: people with lung or heart disease suffer more in heat and smog.
- Values, culture, religion, politics and the media shape what people believe and trust.
Remember it as: Age, job, place, experience, health, values.
Real example (SL): Greta Thunberg. In August 2018, at 15, she began a school strike outside Sweden's parliament. It grew into Fridays for Future, and in September 2019 millions of young people joined climate strikes around the world.
Show both sides: Vulnerability does not decide everything: people far from any danger can still care, through empathy, education or their values.
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A society's perspective is the view its government and people share, shown in what the country says and does at climate talks.
The points to remember
- Level of development: richer countries can afford new technology; poorer ones need help.
- Fossil fuels: countries that earn money from coal, oil or gas often want slower change.
- Vulnerability: small islands and low coasts want the fastest, deepest cuts.
- Responsibility: countries that emitted most in the past are expected to do more.
- Politics and culture: leaders, elections and indigenous or religious views shape the response.
Real examples (SL): at the COP26 climate talks in 2021, Tuvalu's foreign minister, Simon Kofe, gave his speech standing knee-deep in the sea to show his country's danger. Saudi Arabia, whose economy rests on oil exports, has often resisted calls to phase out fossil fuels.
Perspectives show most clearly in how a society chooses to respond: cut emissions (mitigation), cope with the effects (adaptation), or both.
A rich society often
- Builds hard defences, such as sea walls
- Invests in new technology
- Prefers gradual change that protects its economy
A poorer, vulnerable society often
- Asks for fast global cuts in emissions
- Uses cheaper, local ways to adapt
- Asks rich countries to pay for the harm
The points to remember
- Urgent or gradual? Act now at any cost, or move slowly to protect jobs.
- Technology or lifestyle? Invent our way out, or consume less.
- Who pays? Those who emitted most, or everyone equally?
Real example (SL): the Netherlands, rich and largely below sea level, spends billions on dykes and storm barriers. Bangladesh, poorer and just as exposed, has built cyclone shelters and, at the COP27 talks in 2022, helped win a new fund to pay for loss and damage.
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The guide asks for your own perspective too. A good personal view is stated clearly, explained by what shapes it, and backed with evidence.
The points to remember
- State your view: how serious, and what should be done.
- Explain what shapes it: your age, place, values and what you have seen.
- Support it with evidence, such as data or a named case.
- Recognize other views, and why people hold them.
Real example (SL): a student in Jakarta might write: 'My city floods most years and parts are sinking; Indonesia is building a new capital, Nusantara, partly for this reason. So I think fast action is urgent, though I see why coal workers in Kalimantan worry about their jobs.'
How this comes up: Paper 2 can ask you to discuss how a factor, such as vulnerability, shapes views on climate action [4]. You need points on both sides and a conclusion; with no balance, the most is 3.
Many coal miners in Poland's Silesia region worry about plans to close the mines to cut carbon emissions.
Discuss how a person's job can influence their views on controlling carbon emissions.
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