Gaps in public trust between scientists and climate scientists: a 68 country study

Omid Ghasemi; Viktoria Cologna; Niels G. Mede; Samantha K. Stanley; Noel Strahm; Robert Ross; Mark Alfano; John R. Kerr; Mathew D. Marques; Sebastian Berger; John C. Besley; Cameron Brick; Marina Joubert; Edward Maibach; Sabina Mihelj; Ben R. Newell; Naomi Oreskes; Mike S. Schäfer

doi:10.1088/1748-9326/add1f9

Gaps in public trust between scientists and climate scientists: a 68 country study

Omid Ghasemi, Viktoria Cologna, Niels G. Mede, Samantha K. Stanley, Noel Strahm, Robert Ross, Mark Alfano, John R. Kerr, Mathew D. Marques, Sebastian Berger, John C. Besley, Cameron Brick, Marina Joubert, Edward Maibach, Sabina Mihelj, Ben R. Newell, Naomi Oreskes, Mike S. Schäfer

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Abstract

This study compares public trust in climate scientists and scientists in general across 68 countries (N = 69,534). On average, participants reported moderately high levels of trust in climate scientists, with trust levels being slightly lower than trust in scientists in general. Overall, this trust gap was larger among participants who identified as politically conservative or right-leaning, but there was considerable variation across countries.

Original language	English
Article number	061002
Pages (from-to)	1-7
Number of pages	7
Journal	Environmental Research Letters
Volume	20
Issue number	6
Early online date	19 May 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/add1f9
Publication status	Published - Jun 2025

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2025. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

climate change
climate science
political polarization
trust gap
trust in scientists
trustworthiness

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10.1088/1748-9326/add1f9

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 1.66 MBLicence: CC BY

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Ghasemi, O., Cologna, V., Mede, N. G., Stanley, S. K., Strahm, N., Ross, R., Alfano, M., Kerr, J. R., Marques, M. D., Berger, S., Besley, J. C., Brick, C., Joubert, M., Maibach, E., Mihelj, S., Newell, B. R., Oreskes, N., & Schäfer, M. S. (2025). Gaps in public trust between scientists and climate scientists: a 68 country study. Environmental Research Letters, 20(6), 1-7. Article 061002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/add1f9

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title = "Gaps in public trust between scientists and climate scientists: a 68 country study",

abstract = "This study compares public trust in climate scientists and scientists in general across 68 countries (N = 69,534). On average, participants reported moderately high levels of trust in climate scientists, with trust levels being slightly lower than trust in scientists in general. Overall, this trust gap was larger among participants who identified as politically conservative or right-leaning, but there was considerable variation across countries.",

keywords = "climate change, climate science, political polarization, trust gap, trust in scientists, trustworthiness",

author = "Omid Ghasemi and Viktoria Cologna and Mede, {Niels G.} and Stanley, {Samantha K.} and Noel Strahm and Robert Ross and Mark Alfano and Kerr, {John R.} and Marques, {Mathew D.} and Sebastian Berger and Besley, {John C.} and Cameron Brick and Marina Joubert and Edward Maibach and Sabina Mihelj and Newell, {Ben R.} and Naomi Oreskes and Sch{\"a}fer, {Mike S.}",

note = "Copyright the Author(s) 2025. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.",

year = "2025",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1088/1748-9326/add1f9",

language = "English",

volume = "20",

pages = "1--7",

journal = "Environmental Research Letters",

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Ghasemi, O, Cologna, V, Mede, NG, Stanley, SK, Strahm, N, Ross, R , Alfano, M, Kerr, JR, Marques, MD, Berger, S, Besley, JC, Brick, C, Joubert, M, Maibach, E, Mihelj, S, Newell, BR, Oreskes, N & Schäfer, MS 2025, 'Gaps in public trust between scientists and climate scientists: a 68 country study', Environmental Research Letters, vol. 20, no. 6, 061002, pp. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/add1f9

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AU - Ghasemi, Omid

AU - Cologna, Viktoria

AU - Mede, Niels G.

AU - Stanley, Samantha K.

AU - Strahm, Noel

AU - Ross, Robert

AU - Alfano, Mark

AU - Kerr, John R.

AU - Marques, Mathew D.

AU - Berger, Sebastian

AU - Besley, John C.

AU - Brick, Cameron

AU - Joubert, Marina

AU - Maibach, Edward

AU - Mihelj, Sabina

AU - Newell, Ben R.

AU - Oreskes, Naomi

AU - Schäfer, Mike S.

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2025. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2025/6

Y1 - 2025/6

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AB - This study compares public trust in climate scientists and scientists in general across 68 countries (N = 69,534). On average, participants reported moderately high levels of trust in climate scientists, with trust levels being slightly lower than trust in scientists in general. Overall, this trust gap was larger among participants who identified as politically conservative or right-leaning, but there was considerable variation across countries.

KW - climate change

KW - climate science

KW - political polarization

KW - trust gap

KW - trust in scientists

KW - trustworthiness

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JO - Environmental Research Letters

JF - Environmental Research Letters

IS - 6

M1 - 061002

ER -

Gaps in public trust between scientists and climate scientists: a 68 country study

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Keywords

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