Climate Change: How the Conversation Is Heating Up on Social Media

Climate change remains a top concern for global citizens – and a hot topic on social media. Consumers, brands, politicians, NGOs, and celebrities have all turned to social platforms to share news coverage of extreme weather events, the dangers of ignoring climate change, and even personal tips for leading a more sustainable, eco-friendly life.

To understand how the online community feels about climate change in 2022, the Synthesio team tracked more than 60 million climate-related mentions in the US, UK, Australia, and India. The result? Climate anxiety, climate skepticism, and intense debate.

Our new report, “Climate Change: How the Conversation Is Heating Up on Social Media” explores the drivers of online discussion – such as extreme weather events and the fossil fuel industry – and digs into the top emotions consumers are expressing around the topic.

In one instance, Synthesio’s Semantic AI detected that mentions expressing “fear” have increased by 38% compared to the previous 12-month period, primarily driven by floods, heatwaves, and droughts around the globe. Anxiety was also a common theme, with many social media users expressing concern about the near-term and long-term consequences of climate change.

The report also uses Synthesio’s Influencer Rank to identify the “loudest voices” online. Celebrities and politicians like Leonardo DiCaprio and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are among the top climate advocates generating social interaction online – but there are also key influencers driving discussion around the “climate hoax.”

Download the full report