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Les représentations sociales du changement climatique

ADEME’s barometer reveals rising anxiety and pessimism in 2025, alongside stagnant personal motivation to reduce emissions — even as demand grows for public policy to take action instead.

What the evidence shows

This report presents the 26th annual edition of the ADEME Barometer on Social Perceptions of Climate Change in France, a continuous series dating back to 2000 that tracks changes over time in public perceptions of the reality, causes, consequences, and solutions to climate change. The survey measures both opinion indicators (concern, belief in human-caused climate change, pessimism about the future) and self-reported behavioral indicators (individual actions, support for public policies).

The 2025 edition takes place against a unique backdrop: fieldwork was conducted in July, during intense heat waves, and in a political climate marked by debates over environmental deregulation (notably the Duplomb Act). The report documents a relative stabilization of perceptions after several years of fluctuations, while revealing a growing tension between public concern and pessimism on the one hand, and a waning of individual engagement and the priority given to the environment in national priorities on the other.

The report is organized into several sections: the importance of the environment compared to other issues; perceptions of the causes (scientific skepticism, anthropogenic vs. natural causes); perceptions of the consequences; opinions on media coverage and sources of information (including the impact of social media); support for public policy measures; reported individual behaviors; and a summary typology classifying the public into three profiles (Convinced / Skeptics / Undecided).

Key Findings

Concern remains widespread, but individual action has plateaued: 72% of French people say they are concerned about climate change (27% are “very concerned”), a level that remains constant across all social groups—but the willingness to take action to reduce personal emissions is no longer increasing (31% say they are “doing their best,” a figure that has remained stable since 2023 following a trend toward disengagement between 2023 and 2024).
Skepticism about human-caused climate change remains in the minority but is significant: 61% of French people attribute climate change to human activity, 28% to a natural phenomenon, and 4% deny the very existence of climate change—a figure that has risen slightly. Furthermore, a quarter of the population believes that scientists underestimate the risks (a new option tested in 2025).
The environment is slipping down the list of national priorities: environmental issues rank only fifth among France’s top concerns (8%, tied with health), far behind rising prices (20%), public debt (17%, a new entry in 2025), and immigration (14%)—a level that has remained stagnant at its lowest point since 2019.
Pessimism about the future is growing: 66% of French people believe that climate change cannot be limited to reasonable levels by the end of the century (+6 points compared to 2024), and only 37% believe that the actions implemented since the Paris Agreement are sufficient to meet the goals.
There is a clear demand for regulation despite the current trend toward deregulation: 76% of French people want environmental regulations to be strengthened (rather than relaxed), a majority even among those “very far right” (61%)—a stance at odds with the deregulatory shift in current public policies.
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Stand-out data points

+10 percentage points in 10 years: the share of French people who expect living conditions to become “extremely difficult” due to climate change rose from 55% (2006 average) to 65% in 2025.
22%—the highest level ever recorded: the proportion of French people who believe that “no one” is currently taking action to address climate change (vs. 18% in 2024).
A 38-point gap based on social media usage: Heavy users of social media for news are significantly more likely to attribute climate disturbances to “natural phenomena” rather than the greenhouse effect, and to doubt the reliability of scientists—a media composition effect that the report documents for the first time this year with this level of detail.

Examples of how Understories uses this research

Actionability This reveals a stagnation—or even a loss of momentum—in reported individual action (31% “are doing their best,” a figure that remains stable): a sign that messages calling for isolated individual actions are likely to yield little results without structural leverage.
Credibility The fact that one-third of the public remains doubtful about scientific consensus (33%) and that skepticism varies depending on social media usage informs the choice of sources and wording, so as not to alienate an audience that is already somewhat skeptical.
Hope Doom Balance Growing pessimism (66% believe that climate change will not be limited to reasonable levels) and the feeling that “no one is taking action” (22%, a record high) suggest a real risk of a shift toward fatalism—a strong warning sign regarding the balance between hope and fatalism in the messages.
Non-maleficence The report documents a growing risk of fatalism (pessimism up 6 points in one year, with a record high in the perception that “no one is taking action”). Understories should flag messages that, by placing excessive emphasis on the severity of the situation without offering credible collective solutions, risk exacerbating this fatalism rather than inspiring action.
Explainability Les résultats sont suffisamment spécifiques (pourcentages, sous-groupes, évolutions annuelles) pour justifier des recommandations citées et chiffrées plutôt que des généralités.

— non-exhaustive.