If you have been working in the climate space in India for long enough, you would know this: the impacts of the climate crisis are becoming increasingly evident, yet public support for meaningful action is waning.

In the last few years, Indians have experienced a multitude of crises, from a two-year-long pandemic to rising unemployment and underemployment, as well as increasing instances of violence against women and marginalised communities. And amid this polycrisis – where multiple crises interconnect, overlap, and reinforce each other – the climate crisis may have taken a backseat for most people or failed to be recognised as a problem at all.

In India, as in other fast-growing economies, many argue that environmental degradation is simply the price we have to pay for infrastructure growth. And as this narrative gains currency, it is likely that climate advocates will not only be mistrusted but also marginalised. This growing polarisation between pro-”growth-at-all-costs” voices and climate advocates will make it even harder to build consensus around the urgent action needed to address the climate crisis.

Framing climate messaging

If we want to rebuild public support for climate action, it’s essential to get the messaging right. In a time of multiple and overlapping crises, people are easily overwhelmed and may disengage from issues that feel distant or complex. The climate narrative therefore needs to connect with people’s immediate concerns, values, and lived experiences.

Unfortunately, climate communication has often missed the mark. Over the last few decades, most messaging has taken one of two tones: spreading awareness or fearmongering.

The standard “doomsday” narrative warns that if our planet heats up beyond a certain threshold –usually 1.5°C to 2°C above pre-industrial levels – it’s game-over for humanity. The logic behind this type of messaging has been straightforward: if people understand the science or witness the devastating impacts of climate change, they will be motivated to act. But the reality isn’t so simple.

When climate messaging frames climate change as a universal concern without considering local realities, it can backfire. For many communities, especially those facing economic precarity, climate action may feel like an added burden. In fact, marginalised communities are the most vulnerable to the crisis, yet they are asked to make more sacrifices to mitigate its effects. Without assurances of security or a promise of a better life, these demands can feel unfair and lead to frustration or resistance.

Campaigners, therefore, have the impossible task of getting people to care about the “end of the world” when they can’t even see beyond the end of the month. For marginalised communities, daily survival and access to food, healthcare, and security are often far more pressing than global environmental concerns. Therefore, top-down approaches – where climate change is presented as the most urgent issue to prioritise – run the risk of becoming ineffective or even alienating their audience.

Using fear or doomsday messaging in campaign communications can also do more harm than good, pushing people further into denial and inaction. When campaigns demand sacrifice – such as the contribution of time or money to a climate cause – without visible results, people may feel powerless instead of motivated. After all, if your protests for environmental protection went unheard, why keep fighting?

Understanding emotions

In these emotionally charged times, campaigners need to rethink how they engage their audiences. The focus should be on putting people and their emotions at the heart of climate communications.

As a step in this direction, we at Mindworks Lab conducted representative surveys across several countries, including India, to map the key emotions and narratives shaping climate action. The findings were then rigorously analysed and contextualised based on the country’s cultural and political landscape. This resulted in the development of an Anger & Agency Monitor, a tool that helps campaigners better understand their audience’s contexts and leverage their emotions to drive action.

The findings for India are particularly telling. The Anger & Agency Monitor indicates that India exhibits high levels of climate denial, with 38% of the population – almost twice the global average – classified as being in complete denial.

Moreover, new forms of denial include sentiments such as, “There are bigger issues than climate change,” “Technology will solve it,” or “We will adapt.” These are echoed by a substantial 91% of the total audience. As a result, most calls to action have gone unheard.

India’s youth are angry

It’s also worth noting that, along with Poland, India is home to the angriest youth (categorised as those between the ages of 16-24 years of age), with 36% expressing anger; this is approximately 10% higher than the national average. Their top concerns include environmental pollution, government corruption, the economic crisis, wars and discrimination, and growing social inequality. Among the young generation, toxic anger groups – the type of anger that can cause deterioration of social fabric and resilience – account for 45%. Powerlessness is also on the rise.

All these point to the same fact: India’s youth are angry, and their anger is being ignored. Even today, most campaigns remain hyper-focused on potential climate impacts that might occur in the next few decades, while young people are constantly anxious about their immediate futures — about being unemployed, the diminishing sense of agency, or the highly competitive education and employment system.

Campaigns that don’t acknowledge this anger will not succeed in the long term. The current struggles that fuel the youth’s anger should be an entry point for starting conversations and building agency – an individual’s perceived capacity to act or influence their situation.

Rethinking the playbook

For their messaging to be effective, campaigners must move beyond traditional methods and connect deeply with people’s emotions, concerns, and realities. As the urgency of climate action grows, campaigns must be more audience-focused, addressing the fears, frustrations, and aspirations of the people they aim to mobilise.

Here are some steps campaigners can take as they reassess their communication strategies.

1. Understand your audience: Climate campaigns need to listen to and understand their audiences and the emotions they hold. This is referred to as audience-empathetic research. With real-time insights and a deeper understanding of what the audience is feeling, campaigners can create compelling narratives that resonate profoundly with them. The findings from the Anger & Agency Monitor India could serve as one such resource. With the help of this tool, campaigners can explore data, identify insights that specifically speak to their audience, recognise key emotions and narratives, and frame their stories around them.

2. Craft messages that resonate with your audience: With these insights, campaigners can align climate action with people’s immediate concerns and the narratives that matter to them. For example, up until the early 2000s, India’s story was one of abundance, and the prevailing idea was that globalisation would lift all boats for the emerging economy. But today, that narrative no longer resonates with many Indians. Instead, people are more concerned with affordable housing, education, healthcare, and so on. Our research shows that 68% of the general population and 74% of young adults believe that the government should prioritise security over prosperity. Drawing on this simple insight would allow us to fit climate campaigns within the livelihoods frame, which would appeal to people’s existing beliefs.

If our objective is climate action from the youth, our campaigns should offer solutions for what troubles them. This could mean, for instance, highlighting the potential for new jobs from clean energy rather than narrowly focusing on its general benefits. Campaigns must address the broader social and economic realities that shape people’s emotions, else they will continue to be ineffective.

3. Give people the power and pathways to act: While changing the narrative is essential, it’s not enough to drive action. Campaigners also need to create agency.

People need to see the tangible outcomes arising from their actions. In times of crisis, such as extreme weather events like floods or heatwaves, we have witnessed how communities, when mobilised, can devise their own solutions. This has included setting up community relief camps or cooling centres. When individuals see the direct impact of their contributions, they are more likely to believe in their ability to influence their surroundings. This sense of empowerment can deepen their commitment to the cause, transforming them into active participants in long-term solutions—whether it’s helping to build flood defences or engaging in a dialogue with local agencies on better urban planning. Ultimately, by fostering a sense of agency, we can shift the public’s mindset from denial and helplessness to one of empowerment and proactive involvement.

However, even the most compelling or inspiring climate messaging cannot ensure action on its own. To translate intent into action, the necessary infrastructure must be in place to support people or offer viable alternatives. For instance, while individuals may wish to reduce their reliance on plastics, this will only be achievable when paper-based alternatives are readily available, and both consumers and retailers are rewarded for adopting and promoting these choices.

As the world has changed, so must our strategies. Climate campaigns must evolve to reflect the realities of today’s world and be grounded in participation, agency, and a deep understanding of the broader crises that shape people’s emotions. Only then can we generate the momentum needed to create lasting change.

Samatha Balachandran is a strategic communications professional from India working with Mindworks Lab, a global social change agency that blends psychology and strategy to create campaigns that resonate, build agency, and drive transformational change in times of crisis. She specialises in climate communications and crafting narratives for social impact.

This article was first published on Indian Development Review.