According to a new poll, 89% of South African adults surveyed support action to reduce methane emissions, while 92% are concerned about climate change. Concern is also high around immediate water-related challenges, including poor water quality, with 93% concerned, and lack of access to drinking water, at 86%. The Global Methane Hub (GMH) in collaboration with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YCCC) commissioned the international online survey in South Africa and 17 other countries to measure and track public awareness of climate change and methane and examine attitudes toward methane reduction solutions around the world.

The findings reflect the growing toll of climate change in South Africa, where communities are confronting both extreme weather and mounting pressure on water resources. In early 2026, catastrophic flooding in Limpopo and Mpumalanga killed at least 45 people and caused widespread damage to homes, schools, clinics and other infrastructure, prompting the government to declare a national disaster. At the same time, parts of the country faced severe drought conditions and growing water stress, with the government warning that climate change could further strain water availability as demand rises. The challenges come as South Africa launched a National Water Action Plan in July to address increasingly severe water-supply disruptions and improve access to reliable, quality drinking water. These survey results also come after the G20 adopted the Cape Town Ministerial Declaration on Air Quality under South Africa’s G20 Presidency in 2025, demonstrating a strong commitment to clean air and environmental sustainability. 

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 over a 20-year period. Decreasing methane emissions also leads to improved public health outcomes and increased economic benefits. 

“Reducing methane is not only a climate imperative; it is an opportunity to strengthen communities,” said Marcelo Mena, CEO of the Global Methane Hub. “As South African communities face extreme weather and growing pressure on water resources, cutting methane is one of the fastest ways to slow warming and build greater resilience to a changing climate. With 89% of South Africans supporting action to reduce methane, there is a clear mandate to advance proven solutions across agriculture, waste and energy.”

Emeritus Professor at the University of Cape Town, Jennifer Broadhurst,  noted that “South Africa is on a journey towards better understanding the quantum of its methane emissions, and what options are available to mitigate them that are suited to the local context. UCT is working closely with the GMH in updating estimates of coal mine methane emissions estimates. This will help the industry better respond to the mitigation challenge.”

“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.”

The survey also found:

• Three-quarters (75%) believe climate change is caused by human activity, while 85% support action to minimize its impacts.
• Nearly nine in ten (89%) support action to reduce methane emissions, up four percentage points from 85% in 2025.
• Globally, oil and gas companies are seen as both major contributors to climate change and capable of addressing it, with 69% of South African respondents ranking them among the top three entities most responsible for climate change and 70% viewing them as very capable of making meaningful changes.

South African Respondents Look to Industry to Address Climate Change

Support for reducing methane also extends across the three sectors responsible for most human-caused methane emissions globally:

• Agriculture: 83% support minimizing methane emissions in the agriculture sector. Almost nine in ten respondents (86%) are concerned about loss of fertile land. About 8 out of 10 respondents (83%) are concerned about reduced crop yields. There are methods of methane mitigation that decrease emissions while yielding more productive outcomes for farmers
• Waste: 85% support minimizing waste disposal sector methane emissions
• Energy: 82% support minimizing energy production sector methane emissions

South African respondents identify global oil and gas companies as significant contributors to climate change, while viewing the industry as highly capable of making meaningful changes. Sustained support across agriculture, waste and energy underscores the opportunity for industry and policymakers to advance solutions that cut methane pollution while strengthening environmental protection and holding major emitters accountable.

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 South Africa – 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. 

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.”

** Global Methane Hub is available for interviews. To request more information or an interview, please contact jerralyn.davis@berlinrosen.com **

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.