Perceptions, Emotions and Knowledge of Climate Change in Young Colombians

Climate change poses a disproportionately large and accelerating threat to today’s youth, who will confront its socio-environmental impacts across their lifetimes. Yet studies that explore how young people in the Global South perceive, emotionally respond to, and understand climate change are still scarce. Here, through a nationally representative survey of 2,220 Colombian youth (aged 18–32) we conducted, we examine young people's climate-related knowledge, emotions, and perceived efficacy of environmentally friendly behaviours in a Global South context. We also explore the role of socio-demographic variation in shaping those characteristics. Our findings reveal a high prevalence of negative “eco-emotions” (e.g., anxiety, fear) alongside widespread misconceptions about climate change causes and solutions. Most participants felt worried or fearful about climate change, yet only about one-third correctly identified fossil fuel use as the primary cause (with deforestation often mistakenly perceived as the leading driver). Respondents also overestimated the climate benefits of certain low-impact actions (e.g., banning single-use plastic bags, planting one tree) while under-recognizing higher-impact behaviours. Socio-demographic factors predicted distinct emotional and cognitive patterns: women and students reported more intense negative emotions, whereas rural and lower-income youth were less likely to demonstrate accurate climate change knowledge. Political orientation showed an influence on knowledge without the stark polarization observed elsewhere. Interestingly, colombian youth who fear comfort losses are 13 times more likely to dismiss eco-friendly actions. These findings underscore the need for climate education policy and practice with differential approaches across socio-economic levels in the Global South to empower young people as informed and emotionally-resilient agents of climate action.