Overview

This benchmark series, initiated in 2022, examines how the public engages with news and information about climate change across multiple countries. It provides a consistent, comparative evidence base on climate-related news use, trust, and perceptions, enabling year-on-year analysis within a stable research framework.

Purpose

The purpose of the series is to track how climate change is communicated and received through news media, and how audiences perceive sources, narratives, and coverage quality over time. It is designed to support informed decision-making by media, policy, and finance stakeholders who rely on credible climate information environments.

Methodology

The series is based on repeated, cross-country online surveys conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. Surveys are fielded annually using nationally representative quotas for age, gender, and region, with results weighted to reflect each country’s online population. The methodology is kept broadly consistent each year to allow comparability over time.

Scope and structure

Each edition applies a common questionnaire framework while allowing for the introduction of selected topical modules. This approach enables longitudinal tracking while remaining responsive to emerging issues affecting climate communication and public discourse.

Use for finance professionals
Finance professionals can use this benchmark series to assess the stability and credibility of the climate information environment in which investors, clients, and policymakers operate. It supports contextual analysis of climate narratives, trust in information sources, and media dynamics that may influence climate risk communication, stakeholder engagement, and long-term strategy development.