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The Silent Climate Majority: Why RFM Productions Is Joining The 89 Percent Project
For decades, climate reporting has focused on the science of rising temperatures, extreme weather, and biodiversity loss. These stories are essential, but they often overlook another important story—one that offers hope.
What if the greatest obstacle to climate action isn’t a lack of public support, but the mistaken belief that few people care?
That question is at the heart of The 89 Percent Project, a year-long international journalism initiative led by Covering Climate Now. Bringing together hundreds of news organizations across the globe, the project is built on a striking body of scientific research showing that between 80% and 89% of people worldwide want their governments to take stronger action on climate change. Yet most people wrongly believe they are in the minority.
This gap between reality and perception has profound consequences.
When people believe their concerns are unpopular, they are less likely to speak openly, participate in civic discussions, or advocate for meaningful climate solutions. Researchers describe this phenomenon as a “spiral of silence,” where widespread support exists but remains largely invisible because individuals underestimate how many others share their views.
The 89 Percent Project draws on multiple peer-reviewed studies and international surveys, including research involving more than 130,000 people across 125 countries. The findings consistently reveal that public demand for stronger climate action is far greater than most governments, media organizations, and even citizens realize. (The Guardian)
One of the most surprising findings is that more than two-thirds of respondents said they would be willing to contribute 1% of their income to address climate change, yet they estimated that fewer than half of other people would be willing to do the same. This widespread underestimation creates the false impression that meaningful climate action lacks public support.
Recognizing this disconnect, Covering Climate Now launched The 89 Percent Project to encourage journalists to report not only on climate impacts but also on the people who make up this global climate majority. The initiative asks an important question: Who are these people, what motivates them, and what happens when they realize they are not alone?
Why This Matters to RFM Productions
At RFM Productions, we have always believed that climate stories begin with people.
Our work has taken us from the Amazon rainforest to international climate conferences, where we have documented Indigenous leaders defending their ancestral lands, scientists advancing conservation research, students using storytelling to educate their communities, and young filmmakers determined to build a more sustainable future.
Although their backgrounds differ, their message is remarkably consistent: people care.
The 89 Percent Project reinforces what we have witnessed firsthand. Across continents, cultures, and generations, individuals are working toward the same goal—a healthier, more resilient planet—even if they don’t always realize how many others share their commitment.
Making the Invisible Visible
For RFM Productions, storytelling has always been about more than documenting environmental challenges. It is about revealing the human connections that statistics alone cannot capture.
A documentary can introduce audiences to an Indigenous forest guardian whose knowledge has protected biodiversity for generations.
A student interview can show how the next generation is already developing innovative climate solutions.
A conversation with a community rebuilding after wildfire can demonstrate resilience in the face of unprecedented change.
These are not isolated stories.
Together, they represent the millions—and indeed billions—of people who make up the climate majority.
Looking Ahead
As The 89 Percent Project continues through its coordinated global reporting leading up to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, journalists around the world are shifting the narrative from polarization to possibility. Rather than asking whether people care about climate change, the project asks how journalism can better reflect the overwhelming public support that already exists for climate action.
At RFM Productions, we are proud to contribute to that conversation.
Because every story we tell—from the heart of the Amazon to communities rebuilding after climate disasters—helps make the invisible majority visible.
When people discover they are not standing alone, they are more likely to speak, collaborate, and act.
Perhaps the most important climate story of our time is not that 89 percent of the world wants stronger climate action.
It is that 89 percent of the world is finally beginning to find one another.
