While 58% of Maharashtrians are concerned about climate change, only 3% consider it a political priority; according to a new study by Ek Kutumb (a research organisation working to understand values, identities, world views, perceptions of the people of India; and their relationship to climate change) that examines how citizens’ values and perceptions shape their response to climate change.
The report, ‘State of Mind: Mapping Values and Climate Perceptions - Maharashtra Edition’, is based on responses from 6,160 people across Maharashtra. The organisation describes it as one of the largest, state-level psychographic studies in India and says it examines how climate concerns translate — or fail to translate — into individual action, political priorities and trust in institutions.
The study found that climate concerns are often understood through immediate, local experiences rather than scientific terminology. When the respondents were asked to identify environmental problems without being prompted, 39% cited changing weather patterns, 38% pollution, and 28% rainfall-related problems. Only 1.5% used terms such as ‘global warming’. The findings also suggest that climate action does not necessarily compete with economic development in the citizens’ minds. When asked to choose between economic development and environmental protection, two-thirds of the respondents chose environmental protection.
Overall, 58% said that they are concerned about climate change, while another 23% were uncertain. The study found that climate concerns were particularly high among people whose livelihoods are directly dependent on land and water, suggesting that direct exposure to environmental changes may influence perceptions more strongly than education or geography.
{{/usCountry}}Overall, 58% said that they are concerned about climate change, while another 23% were uncertain. The study found that climate concerns were particularly high among people whose livelihoods are directly dependent on land and water, suggesting that direct exposure to environmental changes may influence perceptions more strongly than education or geography.
{{/usCountry}}Deepa Bhatia, CEO, Ek Kutumb Solutions, said that climate policy needs to account for how citizens understand environmental risks and responsibility.
“India’s climate response must include a localised approach that starts with understanding its citizens and their perceptions of climate interventions,” Bhatia said. “Citizen participation is shaped by which communities trust which institutions, the values driving their willingness to act, and where policy is likely to encounter friction.”
The study found relatively modest levels of trust in different institutions and groups involved in environmental issues. Government and local authorities, NGOs and foundations, climate activists and local youth groups recorded trust levels ranging from 26% to 36%.
At the same time, the respondents reported a relatively strong sense of personal agency. About 66% said that their own actions could make a difference to the environment, compared with 32% who placed greater faith in institutional action. About 69% said that civic and political involvement could lead to change.
Shloka Nath, founder and CEO of a new climate-focused entity building on the work of the India Climate Collaborative, said trust and lived experience need to be central to climate policy.
“Climate action succeeds when people can see themselves in the future we are trying to build,” Nath said. “Trust, lived experience, and sense of agency are not peripheral to climate policy; they are what turn ambition into lasting collective action.”
The research identified seven broad citizen groups, or archetypes, based on their values, levels of climate concern, trust in institutions and willingness to act. These include “urban status quoists”, accounting for 12% of the respondents; and “rooted rural custodians”, who account for 17% and recorded the highest level of climate concern at 84%. Another 17% were classified as “state anchored optimists”, characterised by greater trust in government-led solutions.
According to Ek Kutumb, the differences between these groups have implications for how climate programmes are designed and communicated, as messages that resonate with one group may have limited impact on another.
The Maharashtra study is intended to serve as the first phase of a wider research programme. Ek Kutumb plans to apply the same values-based approach in other states to build a broader understanding of how citizens perceive climate change and climate interventions.