Majorities in five of seven countries surveyed believe their governments are unprepared to tackle climate change, according to a new ASRA survey released ahead of COP31.
Turkey recorded the highest level of concern, with 72% of respondents saying their government was unprepared, followed by Brazil (69%) and the UK (66%).
India was the only country where a majority (51%) expressed confidence in government preparedness, while 45% disagreed.
Across all seven countries, most respondents linked climate change to rising food prices, higher household expenses and damage to ecosystems.
In India, 72% of respondents associated climate change with forced displacement, while 68% linked it to political conflict or instability.
Majorities in five of seven countries surveyed believe their governments are unprepared to tackle climate change, according to a recent survey published by the Accelerator for Systemic Risk Assessment (ASRA).
The analysis came ahead of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP 31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which began in Antalya, Türkiye on November 9, 2026.
The survey, conducted in Australia, Brazil, India, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States, highlights a gap between public concern about climate change and confidence in governments' ability to respond.
Turkey recorded the highest level of concern, with 72 per cent of respondents saying their government was unprepared, followed by Brazil (69 per cent), the UK (66 per cent), South Africa (65 per cent) and the US (62 per cent).
Only 15 per cent of respondents in Turkey believed their government was prepared to address climate risks, the lowest level of confidence among the countries surveyed.
In Australia, 50 per cent considered their government unprepared, while 34 per cent expressed confidence in its readiness.
India was the only country where a majority (51 per cent) believed the government was prepared, compared with 45 per cent who disagreed.
The findings were released ahead of the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), being held in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9 to 20.
They follow a September report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Limiting Overshoot, which warned that exceeding the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C warming threshold was widely considered unavoidable under current policies.
The findings point to the importance of preparing societies for worsening climate impacts alongside efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Across all seven countries, majorities of respondents believed climate change contributed to rising food prices, ranging from 71 per cent in Australia to 83 per cent in the UK.
Between 69 per cent of respondents in Turkey and 82 per cent in Brazil also linked climate change to ecosystem damage and biodiversity loss.
At least two-thirds of respondents in every country believed climate change contributed to higher household expenses, including energy and housing costs.
The survey also examined public perceptions of climate change's wider social consequences.
In Brazil, 81 per cent of respondents believed climate change contributed to forced displacement, while 70 per cent associated it with political conflict or instability.
In India, the corresponding figures were 72 per cent and 68 per cent, respectively.
Views differed in Australia, where 47 per cent believed climate change contributed a fair amount or a great deal to political conflict or instability, while 44 per cent said it contributed little or not at all.