93% of Filipinos Support Action to Minimize Climate Change Impact, 75% Support National Methane Emissions Reduction Target
Amid Tropical Cyclones, Flooding, and Landslides, nearly 7 in 10 Filipinos Report Significant Personal Impacts from Climate Change
LOS BAÑOS – According to a new poll, Filipinos overwhelmingly support actions to minimize the impacts of climate change (93% total support, including 64% who strongly support), as well as actions to minimize harmful methane emissions (86% total support, with 43% strong support). The international survey, conducted in the Philippines and 17 total countries across the globe, was commissioned by Global Methane Hub to examine public support for climate change solutions including reducing harmful methane pollution.
The survey revealed near-unanimous belief in climate change among Filipinos, with 99% saying they believe in climate change and 83% believing human actions are to blame – the highest percent of the surveyed population in all of the 17 countries included in the poll. Compared to other countries surveyed in the Asia-Pacific region, Filipinos reported feeling the greatest impacts of climate change on their personal lives, with nearly 7 in 10 saying they felt strong or extreme climate impacts.
“Communities that are feeling the most heat—literally—are also the most vocal in calling for climate action,” said Marcelo Mena, CEO of the Global Methane Hub. “Cutting methane is one of the fastest ways to bring temperatures down, and people know it. It’s not just science—it’s a direct response to what they’re experiencing on the ground.”
In a country impacted by intensifying and increasingly frequent tropical cyclones and devastating flooding and landslides driven by climate change, Filipinos expressed a level of strong support (43%) for action on methane pollution, showing fertile ground for policy action. Of the four countries surveyed in the region, the Philippines was joined by Indonesia (59% strong support) and Pakistan (44% strong support) in showing significant demand for policymakers to take action, making the Asia region an international leader in support for cutting harmful methane pollution.
“The Philippines generates about 60640 tonnes of waste per day of which 52% is organic. The Climate Change Commission reports that 21.76 MT CO2eq methane is produced annually from the waste sector in the Philippines. There is a great potential for organic waste reduction in the country. The survey result brings in more attention to Zero Waste Cities programmes which reduce organic waste methane through source segregation and decentralized recovery through composting. The successful models throughout the country integrate waste pickers to ensure just transition”, said Shibu Nair of GAIA Asia Pacific. “We recognize the importance of local governments who implement programmes to enable organic waste methane reduction. GAIA is facilitating Cities Methane Pledge to encourage local governments to commit to contribute to the goal of 70% reduction of methane by 2030.”
Vast Majority of Filipinos Support Action on Methane Pollution, Blame Industry for Harms
Three in four Filipinos said they support climate action plans – defined as “Nationally Determined Contributions” – that include a specific methane emissions reduction target. When asked about their support for policies to address methane emissions in various sectors of the economy, Filipinos exhibited a broad enthusiasm for targeted policies that exceeded their support for methane pollution generally:
Actions to minimize methane emissions from the energy sector: 87% total support (49% strong support)
Actions to minimize methane emissions from the agricultural sector: 88% total support (46% strong support)
Actions to minimize methane emissions from the waste management sector: 87% total support (48% strong support)
When Filipinos were asked about their biggest environmental concerns, climate change topped the list with 74% saying they were very concerned–exceeding even hurricanes and typhoons. This places the Philippines second only to Colombia (75%) in the countries surveyed when it comes to expressing similar levels of concern, and it aligns with the broad constituencies of support for action on methane pollution.
International Survey Reveals Powerful, Positive Trend of Support for Methane Mitigation
Internationally, the poll surveyed people in 17 countries across five continents – Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The online survey gathered data from at least 600 people in each country and asked respondents questions on key issues ranging from views on climate change, environmental concerns and support for action, knowledge of methane gas emissions, and support for specific policies to reduce methane gas emissions.
Taken together, the survey findings reveal a powerful international trend of strong support for methane reduction. A significant majority of people across the 17 countries surveyed support actions to minimize methane pollution, with 82% average support for such actions among respondents across all surveyed countries. In the midst of the threat of policy changes in high emitting countries and regions, this robust and widespread support proves that the public supports climate progress.
While economic concerns remain the top national priority across the globe, countries in the Global South where climate change impacts are most severe tend to show the strongest support for methane mitigation, with lower levels of personal climate impacts in the Global North correlated with lower support for action.
The Urgency of Methane Reduction
Methane gas emissions have contributed to about half of the warming we are experiencing today, causing harm to communities around the globe. As policymakers and other actors look for solutions to cool the planet following the hottest year on record, reducing methane by 45% is crucial to lowering warming by 0.3 degrees Celsius by 2040, putting us on a path to a healthy future and meeting international climate commitments.
Methane is a significantly more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide:
86 times more potent than CO₂ over 20 years
28 times more potent than CO₂ over 100 years
“This comprehensive survey, commissioned by Global Methane Hub and conducted by Burson, offers an unparalleled window into public attitudes toward methane emissions and climate change, equipping decision-makers with essential insights on societal perspectives regarding methane reduction efforts,” said Bob Torongo, Executive Vice President, Burson.
About Global Methane Hub
The Global Methane Hub organizes the field of philanthropists, experts, nonprofits, and government organizations to ensure we unite around a strategy to maximize methane reductions. We have raised over $200 million in pooled funds from more than 20 of the largest climate philanthropies to accelerate methane mitigation across the globe. Visit our website to learn more about organizations that supported the commitment.
About GAIA
GAIA is a network of grassroots groups and national and regional alliances representing more than 1000 organizations from 92 countries. With our work, we aim to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. We envision a just, zero-waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped. www.no-burn.org
About International Rice Research Institute
Since its founding in 1960, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has called the Philippines its home, fostering a long-standing partnership rooted in agricultural research, education, and community development. A key milestone was the establishment of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in 1985, with which IRRI has closely collaborated on numerous research and training initiatives. With early support from institutions like the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations and in synergy with the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (UPCA), IRRI has built strong capacity for scientific advancement in rice research. Beyond science, IRRI plays an active role in local communities, supporting education, disaster preparedness, and livelihoods, while contributing significantly to the local economy through employment and operational spending.
Survey Methodology
Burson Insights, Data & Intelligence (formerly BSG) conducted a 10-minute online poll between January 14th and February 8th, 2025, translated into 14 languages, in 17 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
In each country, responses were collected from people currently residing in the country who are 18 years of age or older and who have internet access. Weights were applied to age, gender, geography, and education to ensure collected samples were representative of adults 18+ who have internet access in each country.
A minimum of 750 responses were collected in 12 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom), with a margin of error of approximately ±3.58%. In the remaining 5 countries (Morocco, Oman, Botswana, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan), a minimum of 600 responses were collected, with a margin of error of about ±4.00%.
Note: When “total study” or “overall” figures are referenced, they are representative of the 17 countries surveyed.
** Global Methane Hub and GAIA are available for interviews. To request more information or an interview, please contact jerralyn.davis@berlinrosen.com **
