Experience exceeds awareness of anthropogenic climate change in Greenland

• Published in: Nature climate change Vol. 13; no. 7; pp. 661 - 670
• Main Authors: Minor, Kelton, Jensen, Manumina Lund, Hamilton, Lawrence, Bendixen, Mette, Lassen, David Dreyer, Rosing, Minik T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.07.2023; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 704/844/1759; 704/844/2739/2807; 704/844/841; Anthropogenic climate changes; Anthropogenic factors; Climate adaptation; Climate Change; Climate change adaptation; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Climate prediction; Communication; Cultural factors; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental Law/Policy/Ecojustice; Heart; Human influences; Local climates; Surveys; Greenland
• ISSN: 1758-678X; 1758-6798
• DOI: 10.1038/s41558-023-01701-9

Although Greenland is a hub for climate science, the climate perceptions of Greenland’s predominantly Indigenous population have remained largely unstudied. Here we present two nationally representative surveys and show that Greenlanders are more likely than residents of top oil-producing Arctic countries to perceive that climate change is happening and about twice as likely to have personally experienced its effects. However, half are unaware that climate change is human-caused and those who are most affected appear to be least aware. Personal experience and awareness of human-induced climate change diverge along an Inuit cultural dimension. Indigenous identity positively predicts climate change experience, whereas subsistence occupation and no post-primary education negatively predict attribution beliefs. Despite Greenland’s centrality to climate research, we uncover a gap between the scientific consensus and Kalaallit views of climate change, particularly among youth. This science–society gulf has implications for local climate adaptation, science communication and knowledge exchange between generations, institutions and communities. Greenland is at the heart of climate research, yet the related perceptions of Greenland’s Indigenous population have long been overlooked. Findings based on two nationally representative surveys reveal a large gap between the scientific consensus and Kalaallit views.