New Delhi, 19 June 2025 – A global survey shows a strong support for holding fossil fuel companies accountable for environmental damage. 80% Indian respondents believe the fossil fuel corporations should be taxed for environmental damage they cause.  The data from the survey reflects a growing public consensus that the industries driving the climate crisis should be held financially accountable for the destruction they caused. 

A remarkable 86% of people support government spending on climate disaster relief–provided it is funded by tax on coal, oil, and gas polluters. Notably, 89% of BJP supporters and 82% of Congress (INC) supporters agree on the need to increase taxes on oil and gas corporations to support those hit hardest by extreme weather events, highlighting rare cross-party unity on climate accountability.   

The study, jointly commissioned by Greenpeace International and Oxfam International, was launched today at the UN Climate Meetings in Bonn (SB62), where government representatives are discussing climate policies, including ways to mobilise at least US$ 1.3 trillion annually in climate finance for Global South countries by 2035. The survey was conducted across 13 countries, including most G7 countries. 

Selomi Garnaik, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace India said: “Communities in developing countries are paying the price for a crisis they did not cause, while fossil fuel companies continue to profit. The science is clear—over a century of burning coal, oil, and gas has fueled the climate damage we face today. This new survey reveals strong public support for making polluters pay. As we head into COP30, governments have a clear public mandate to act- stand with the people, not the polluters, and make fossil fuel companies pay for the harm they have caused.”

The study, run by Dynata, was unveiled alongside the Polluters Pay Pact, a global alliance of communities on the frontlines of climate disasters. The Pact demands that governments make oil, gas and coal corporations – not the people – pay their fair share for the damages they cause, through the introduction of new taxes and fines.

The Pact is backed by firefighters and other first responders, trade unions and worker groups, and mayors from countries including Australia, Brazil, Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and South Africa, the US, and plaintiffs in landmark climate cases from Pacific island states to Switzerland.

The Pact is also supported by over 60 NGOs, including Oxfam International, 350.org, Avaaz, Islamic Relief UK, Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente (AIDA), Indian Hawkers Alliance, Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, Jubilee Australia and the Greenpeace network.

The survey’s findings published today reveal broad public support for the core demands of the Polluters Pay Pact, as climate impacts worsen worldwide and global inequality grows.

Key findings of the survey include:

  • 81% of people surveyed globally would support taxes on the oil, gas, and coal industry to pay for damages caused by fossil-fuel driven climate disasters like storms, floods, droughts and wildfires. 
  • 87% of people surveyed in India support channeling revenues from higher taxes on oil and gas corporations towards communities most impacted by the climate crisis. Climate change is disproportionately hitting people in Global South countries, who are historically least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. 
  • 68% of people surveyed globally felt that the fossil fuel industry and the super-rich had a negative influence on politics in their country. 77% say they would be more willing to support a political candidate who prioritises taxing the super-rich and the fossil fuel industry. 

Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International, said: “Fossil fuel companies have known for decades about the damage their polluting products wreak on humanity. Corporations continue to cash in on climate devastation, and their profiteering destroys the lives and livelihoods of millions of women, men and children, predominantly those in the Global South who have done the least to cause the climate crisis. Governments must listen to their people and hold polluters responsible for their damages. A new tax on polluting industries could provide immediate and significant support to climate-vulnerable countries, and finally incentivise investment in renewables and a just transition.” 

The Polluters Pay Pact demonstrates popular support for the campaign to make polluters pay. The campaign is being waged throughout 2025 in countries worldwide and in critical international forums, including the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), and negotiations for a UN tax convention that could include new rules to make multinational oil and gas companies pay their fair share for their pollution.

ENDS

Notes:

[1] The research was conducted by first-party data company Dynata in May-June, 2025, in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Kenya, Italy, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, the UK and the US, with approximately 1200 respondents in each country and a theoretical margin of error of approximately 2.83%. Together, these countries represent close to half the world’s population. Statistics available here. 

Additional background information available here.

[2] Learn more about the Polluters Pay Pact: polluterspaypact.org

[3] Additional quotes here from people around the world who are backing the Polluters Pay Pact, including first responders, local administration, youth, union representatives and people bringing climate cases to courts. 

Contacts: 

For Greenpeace India:
Nibedita Saha, Media Officer, [email protected]

 For Greenpeace International: 

Tal Harris, Greenpeace International, Global Media Lead – Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign, [email protected], +41-782530550