A large majority of Indians believe that oil, gas, and coal companies should be taxed to pay for the environmental harm caused by floods, droughts, wildfires, and health issues linked to pollution. This was revealed in a recent international survey released during the ongoing Bonn Climate Conference 2025.
According to the findings, 80% of Indian respondents agreed that fossil fuel corporations should bear financial responsibility for these damages. Over half of them said oil and gas companies should be taxed directly, while another 23% felt that taxes should be extended to other businesses. Around 13% said the cost should be passed on to consumer goods, and 10% felt working people should also contribute.
When asked who should carry the main burden of such taxes, 43% of respondents pointed to owners, shareholders, investors, and corporate executives of these industries. About 32% said wealthy consumers, such as frequent flyers or SUV owners, should also pay. Another 23% believed that all consumers should share this cost. Only a small fraction — 2% — opposed any form of tax on fossil fuels.
Public support was also strong for increasing taxes on fossil fuels, with 87% in favour of using the funds to help communities most affected by climate change. Only 13% were against this measure.
Additionally, 85% of those surveyed supported the idea of closing loopholes that allow wealthy individuals and multinational corporations to avoid taxes, and using the recovered revenue to fund climate action and public services.
However, views were more divided on whether fossil fuel companies and the super-rich have too much influence in Indian politics. Around 48% of respondents thought this influence was harmful, while 52% believed it was positive. Despite this split, 77% said they would vote for candidates who prioritised taxing the wealthy and major polluters to address environmental issues.
The survey also compared global opinions across 12 countries. Like in India, majorities in these countries also supported taxing fossil fuel companies to pay for the damage they cause and funding climate-affected communities. However, people elsewhere were more convinced that their governments were not doing enough to reduce the influence of polluting industries and the super-rich. In India, only 34% shared this concern, compared to 64% globally.
Political leanings also shaped responses in India. Supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party were less likely to feel the government was failing in this regard (28%) compared to supporters of the Indian National Congress (44%).
The survey highlights growing public demand for accountability from fossil fuel companies and the wealthy, as well as stronger action from governments to address the climate crisis.