New polling across Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and the UK shows broad support for methane action as Europe confronts extreme heat, wildfires and droughts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EUROPE – According to a new poll, at least eight in ten adults surveyed across Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom support action to reduce methane emissions. The Global Methane Hub (GMH) in collaboration with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YCCC) commissioned the international survey across 18 countries to measure and track public awareness of climate change and methane and examine attitudes toward methane reduction solutions around the world.
The findings come as the European Union (EU) is supposed to implement its landmark Methane Regulation, its primary tool for reducing methane emissions from the energy sector. The results showcase the overwhelming public support in Europe for methane action. The regulation requires oil and gas importers to comply with certain standards for methane mitigation. This policy has the potential to reduce methane emissions by at least 1.9 million tons annually, equivalent in near-term warming impact to the annual emissions of roughly 36 million passenger vehicles, minimize methane leaks and prevent natural gas from being wasted through flaring, venting and leaks. Methane is the fastest way to drive down the global temperature as it is a short-lived pollutant that is more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Decreasing methane emissions also leads to improved public health outcomes and increased economic benefits.
The findings show consistently strong backing for methane action across Europe, ranging from 80% in Italy to 85% in Greece and the UK. Across the six European countries surveyed, support for reducing methane stands at 81% in Denmark, 81% in Germany, 85% in Greece, 80% in Italy, 83% in Spain and 85% in the UK.
The results also come as communities across Europe and the UK experience increasingly visible climate impacts, including record heat, drought and wildfires. The UK recorded its hottest summer on record, while Denmark reached a record 37°C during a severe European heatwave. Germany experienced temperatures as high as 41.8°C, and Italy recorded its hottest summer since at least 1950. In Greece, wildfires forced evacuations near Thessaloniki, underscoring the growing risks facing communities across the region. Concern about climate change reaches 92% in Italy, 90% in Greece, 89% in Spain, 80% in the UK, 79% in Germany and 77% in Denmark. In Greece and Spain, 96% of adults are concerned about wildfires, while concern about heat and heatwaves reaches 94% in Greece, 92% in Italy and 84% in Germany.
“These findings show strong and consistent public support for methane action across Europe at a time when reducing methane can make a meaningful difference in slowing climate change and improving the economy,” said Marcelo Mena, CEO of the Global Methane Hub. “From record heat and drought to devastating wildfires that cost billions of dollars to recover from, communities across the region are experiencing the impacts of a changing climate in their daily lives. With at least eight in ten adults in every European country we surveyed supporting action to reduce methane, now is not the time to delay the EU Methane Regulation. Putting it to work on schedule would create efficiencies in the economy and slow warming in the near term.”
“Understanding what people know and think is essential to effective public communication and policymaking,” said Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. “Methane reduction is one of the fastest ways to limit global warming, making it critical that the public understands both the challenge and the solutions. This research helps provide the data needed to identify public knowledge gaps, strengthen communication campaigns, and help informed citizens participate in these climate change solutions.”
Strong Support for Methane Action Across Europe
The survey found broad support for reducing methane emissions:
Support Extends Across Agriculture, Waste and Energy
Support for methane reductions is not limited to any one source of emissions. Large majorities across all six European countries back action in agriculture, waste and energy, the three sectors responsible for most human-caused methane emissions.
Waste emerged as an especially strong area of agreement, with support for minimizing methane from the sector reaching 87% in Spain and the UK, 86% in Greece and Italy, 85% in Germany and 84% in Denmark.
Support for minimizing methane from the energy sector ranges from 79% to 86% across the six countries, while support for action in agriculture ranges from 75% to 83%.
Across the countries surveyed, respondents also consistently identified major emitting sectors as both contributors to environmental harm and among the institutions capable of reducing methane emissions, underscoring the role industry can play in delivering solutions.
Worldwide Support for Cutting Methane Remains Strong
Internationally, the poll reached people in 18 countries across four continents – Brazil, China, Denmark, Ethiopia, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Paraguay, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay. The online survey gathered data from a total of 12,189 adults – including at least 700 adults in Denmark– 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.
Across regions, the findings reveal broad public concern about climate change and strong support for action to tackle both climate change and methane pollution, even as the impacts people experience and the solutions they prioritize vary by country. Adults surveyed are increasingly focused on the tangible effects of a changing climate in their communities, from extreme heat and wildfires to drought, flooding and water quality challenges. The findings also show that people who reported experiencing greater impacts from climate change were more likely to support action, reinforcing the connection between the effects people see and feel in their daily lives and their desire for solutions. Support for reducing methane extends across major emitting sectors, with waste emerging as a particularly resonant area for action in many countries, alongside strong support for solutions in energy and agriculture. The findings also point to widespread expectations for greater action from both governments and industry, with adults across countries calling for policymakers to do more to reduce methane emissions. At the same time, major industries are often seen as both contributors to climate change and important players in delivering meaningful solutions.
Across the countries surveyed, 85% of respondents supported action to reduce methane pollution. More than eight in ten people surveyed want action on methane.
Support for action to reduce methane emissions was particularly strong in Asia, Africa and Latin America, reaching 94% in South Korea, 91% in Malaysia, 90% in China and Brazil, and 89% in Nigeria and South Africa. Across the countries surveyed, the more a respondent reports experiencing the impact of climate change, the more supportive they are of actions to reduce methane emissions.
Why Reducing Methane Emissions is Like Pulling the Emergency Brake on Climate Change
Reducing methane pollution is the fastest way to slow global warming in the near term. Methane is responsible for roughly 30% of the warming experienced since preindustrial times and is more than 80 times as powerful as carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
Unlike carbon dioxide, which can remain in the atmosphere for centuries, most methane breaks down within about a decade. Cutting human-caused methane emissions by 45% this decade could prevent nearly 0.3 degrees Celsius of warming by 2045, helping keep international climate commitments within reach. Reducing methane would also improve air quality, protect crops, create jobs, strengthen the international food system, reduce health risks and bolster the resilience of communities worldwide.
Because methane pollution crosses borders, no country can address it alone. Coordinated action among governments, businesses, researchers and communities is essential to rapidly reduce emissions and secure a healthier, safer future.
“The consistency of these findings sends a clear signal: support for reducing methane emissions is strong and sustained,” said Melissa Bell, Senior Vice President, Research at Global Strategy Group, GMH’s partner in conducting the survey. “People are concerned about the impacts of climate change, they support action across the major sources of methane emissions, and they expect those with the greatest ability to make a difference to take responsibility.”
See the full survey results here.
Global Methane Hub is available for interviews. To request more information or an interview, please contact [email protected].
About the Global Methane Hub
The Global Methane Hub organizes and unites governments, industry leaders, scientists and nonprofit organizations across the globe to minimize methane pollution through technology and common-sense public policies and regulations. We have raised over $500 million in pooled funds from more than 20 of the largest climate philanthropies to accelerate methane mitigation across the globe.
Survey Methodology
Global Strategy Group conducted a 10-minute online poll between August 3 and August 25, 2026, translated into 13 languages across Europe, South America, 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 700 responses were collected in 15 countries: Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, South Africa, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Morocco and Brazil. The margin of error is ±3.7% for these countries, with the exception of Morocco and Brazil, where it is ±3.6%. In the remaining three countries, a minimum of 400 responses were collected. The margins of error are ±4.9% in Ethiopia, ±4.5% in Paraguay and ±3.9% in Uruguay.