Two people can look at the same climate data and reach opposite conclusions about what to do. Neither has to be lying or stupid. Their age, their country’s income, their distance from the coast and where their wages come from all shape what feels urgent. Understanding that is the difference between an answer that argues and an answer that explains.
📚 What you need to know
Climate stakeholders are individuals and groups who influence and shape perspectives on climate change, with varying levels of influence.
The five stakeholder types: charismatic individuals, local community groups, NGOs, media and educational institutions.
Perspectives differ by age, economic development, location and economic interest.
Perspectives vary within countries as well as between them.
Media can either increase awareness or create confusion, depending on the reliability of what is presented.
These differences are a major obstacle to unified climate action.
Who shapes what people think
Reach and depth pull in opposite directions here. Media reaches the most people fastest; education changes understanding most durably. Community groups reach fewest people but are the most likely to change what someone actually does.
Stakeholder
What they do
Named example
Charismatic individuals
Activists, public figures and celebrities use their influence to promote awareness and make climate issues feel relatable and urgent
Greta Thunberg, who inspired global youth movements
Local community groups
Address climate issues specific to their area, making smaller-scale problems relevant and actionable, and advocating practical local steps
Local recycling initiatives and tree-planting groups
NGOs
Research, educate and advocate for climate policies and actions, often working internationally to influence both public opinion and governments
Greenpeace campaigning for environmental protection
Media
Shape how climate issues are perceived; can increase awareness or create confusion depending on the reliability of information presented
The documentary An Inconvenient Truth
Educational institutions
Build scientifically accurate understanding of climate change and motivate students to become involved in climate action
University environmental science and sustainability courses
One stakeholder in that table behaves differently from the others. Every group except the media exists to promote a position. The media’s job is to report, which means it can amplify accurate science and inaccurate claims with equal reach — and a format that gives “both sides” equal airtime can leave an audience thinking a settled question is still an open argument. Noting that in an answer about media influence is worth real credit.
Four reasons people disagree
This is why “raise awareness” is rarely a complete answer to a policy question. Most disagreement about climate action is not about what is true; it is about who pays, who benefits and how soon.
Age
Younger generations often view climate change as more urgent than older generations do, and are more likely to support immediate action because they are more aware of the long-term effects they will personally live through. Older generations may view climate policies more cautiously, concerned about economic disruption or changes to established ways of living.
Economic development
Developed countries often have more resources to invest in mitigation and adaptation, and tend to focus on cutting emissions and shifting to renewables. Developing countries may prioritise economic growth and poverty reduction over climate action because their resources are limited — while at the same time being more vulnerable to impacts, which is why they frequently argue that developed nations should act first and take more responsibility for historical emissions.
Location
Coastal communities tend to be more concerned, facing direct threats from sea level rise and stronger storms. The Maldives, a low-lying island nation, treats climate action as an existential priority for obvious reasons. Inland communities may feel less immediate risk, which leads to a perception of lower urgency — even where drought or heat is a growing problem.
Economic interest
Countries and communities that benefit economically from fossil fuel industries often hold mixed views. Oil-exporting nations may be hesitant to reduce production because national revenue depends on it. Economies not reliant on fossil fuels are usually more supportive of renewable policy, seeing it as good for growth as well as for the environment.
The point examiners reward most. Perspectives vary within countries, not only between them. A coal-mining region and a coastal city in the same nation can hold sharply opposing views, and a wealthy country contains people who cannot afford an electric car or a heat pump. Saying so shows you are analysing rather than generalising.
Climate justice
Put the four factors together and a pattern emerges that runs through the whole of Topic 6. The countries that contributed least to historical emissions are frequently the most exposed to impacts and the least able to adapt. That mismatch is the core of the climate justice argument, and it explains why funding — from the Loss and Damage Fund to the adaptation finance promised at Glasgow — is often the hardest item at every COP.
There is a counter-argument worth knowing. Historical emissions were released before their consequences were understood, and today’s largest annual emitters are not always the largest historical ones. Presenting both sides, then reaching a judgement, is what an evaluation question is asking for.
WORKED EXAMPLE
Compare the roles of NGOs and the media in shaping perspectives on climate change. [4]
Point 1 — similarityBoth influence public opinion without holding formal political power, and both operate internationally.Point 2 — NGO roleNGOs such as Greenpeace research, educate and advocate for particular policies, so their influence is directed towards a stated aim.Point 3 — media roleMedia outlets, social platforms and documentaries such as An Inconvenient Truth reach far larger audiences and set which issues seem important.Point 4 — key differenceThe media can also create confusion where information is unreliable or where opposing claims are given equal weight, whereas NGOs campaign for a consistent position.4 / 4Point 4 is the discriminator. Most answers describe both roles but never contrast their reliability.
WORKED EXAMPLE
Discuss how differing perspectives make unified climate action difficult. [6]
Point 1 — ageYounger people generally see the issue as more urgent because they will experience the long-term effects, while older generations may weigh present economic cost more heavily.Point 2 — developmentDeveloping countries may prioritise growth and poverty reduction, and argue that developed nations should act first given their historical emissions.Point 3 — locationCoastal communities such as the Maldives face immediate threats from sea level rise, while inland populations perceive lower urgency.Point 4 — economic interestOil-exporting nations depend on revenue from fossil fuels, so a rapid phase-out threatens their economies directly.Point 5 — within as well as betweenThese divisions also exist inside countries, so even a single national government must reconcile conflicting views before it can act.Point 6 — judgementBecause agreements require consensus, these differences slow negotiation and push treaties towards voluntary targets, as the Paris Agreement shows.6 / 6Ending on the Paris Agreement ties perspectives back to treaty design and shows the whole sub-topic connecting.
💡 Exam tip
Learn the five stakeholders with one named example each. That is five facts covering a whole question.
Learn the four perspective factors as a list: age, development, location, economic interest.
Always state that perspectives vary within countries as well as between them.
Explain perspectives in terms of cost, risk and time horizon rather than saying some people care more.
Note that the media can reduce understanding as well as increase it. It is the one stakeholder that cuts both ways.
Link perspectives back to why agreements end up voluntary. That connection reliably earns the top band.
⚠️ Common mix-up
Treating disagreement as ignorance. Most differences come from different interests, not different facts.
Assuming all young people agree. Age is a tendency, not a rule, and it interacts with income and location.
Saying developing countries do not care. They are often the most exposed and the most vocal.
Describing stakeholders without an example. The named example is usually where the mark sits.
Confusing stakeholders with perspectives. Stakeholders are the people; perspectives are the viewpoints they hold and shape.
Forgetting that influence varies. Stakeholders have very different levels of reach and power, and saying so is markable.
Up next: Ultraviolet Radiation and Living Things — sub-topic 6.4 turns from carbon to ozone. Keep 6.3 in mind as you read it, because the Montreal Protocol is the one environmental treaty that clearly worked, and comparing it with the climate agreements on this page is one of the most rewarding things you can do in Topic 6.
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