NCEL keeps track of new polling data related to clean energy, environment and conservation issues. We will continually update this section with new polls and messaging tactics that have proven successful to promote environmental legislation.
Climate and Energy
- 54 percent of Americans believe climate change is mostly human caused – Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 2017
- 72 percent of Americans think global warming is happening, and 63 percent are “very” or “somewhat” worried about the issue – Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, 2017
- More than 60 percent of Trump voters support taxing and/or regulating the pollution that causes global warming – Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, 2017
- 69 percent of Americans support a carbon tax and using the money to reduce other taxes by an equal amount. – Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, 2017
- Support for a carbon tax reaches 80 percent if the money is reinvested into clean energy – Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, 2017
- 61 percent of Americans support upholding current ozone standard – American Lung Association, 2017
- 71 percent of Americans favor developing alternative energy over fossil fuels. – Gallup, 2017
- 61 percent of Americans say that climate change is a problem the United States government should address. – Energy Policy Institute at University of Chicago, 2017
- 55 percent of Americans think their state or local government should do more to address climate change. – Energy Policy Institute at University of Chicago, 2017
- 57 percent of Americans say they favor local governments trying reduce greenhouse gas emissions on their own – Energy Policy Institute at University of Chicago, 2017
- 59 percent of Americans believe that the environment should be prioritized over energy production. – Gallup, 2017
- 74 percent of Americans support renewable energy standards. – University of Michigan poll, 2015
- 70 percent of registered voters said it was a “very” or “somewhat” high priority to cut greenhouse gas emissions from energy emissions – Voice of the People/University of Maryland, 2016
Conservation
- 76 percent of Western voters identify as a conservationist. – Conservation in the West Poll, 2018
- 75 percent of Western voters identify as an outdoor recreation enthusiast. – Conservation in the West Poll, 2018
- 93 percent of Westerners view the outdoor recreation economy as important for the economic future of their state. – Conservation in the West Poll, 2018
- 81 percent view public lands and their state’s outdoor recreation lifestyle as an advantage in attracting good jobs and innovative companies. – Conservation in the West Poll, 2018
- 90 percent of Western voters believe that national monuments are important places to conserve for future generations. – Conservation in the West Poll, 2018
- 87 percent of hunters and anglers do not want to see cuts to conservation programs. – Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, 2017
- 53 percent of Americans oppose oil exploration on federal lands. – Gallup Poll, 2017
- 77 percent of Americans believe that the US benefits from national parks and the National Park System. – Hart Research, 2016
Environmental Health
- 63 percent of Americans are worried a great deal about pollution of drinking water – the highest since 2001. – Gallup, 2017
- 57 percent of Americans worry a great deal about the pollution of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. – Gallup, 2017
- 66 percent of Americans have bought a product because it’s better for the environment. – Gallup, 2017
Environmental Justice
- Nonwhites (80%) and low-income (75%) Americans are more worried about drinking water pollution. – Gallup, 2017
- Non-whites are more likely to think global warming should be a top priority for the government. – FiveThirtyEight, 2015
- 54 percent of Hispanics see climate change as something that is extremely or very important to them personally. – New York Times/Stanford poll, 2015
- 70 percent of Hispanics and 56 percent of African-Americans believe the earth is getting warmer because of human activity. – Pew Research Center, 2015
Politics
- 88 percent of millennials believe climate change is happening. – Alliance for Market Solutions, 2018
- 62 percent of millennials believe that climate change is driven by human activity. – Alliance for Market Solutions, 2018
- 69 percent of millennials believe that climate change will impact them in their lifetime. – Alliance for Market Solutions, 2018
- 52 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the quality of the environment in the US. – Gallup, 2018
- 66 percent of respondents believe states should take responsibility for addressing climate change – University of Michigan, 2017
- 76 percent of American voters are concerned about climate change – Quinnipiac Poll, 2017
- 68 percent of Americans oppose raising fees at National Parks – Hart Research, 2017
- 64 percent of Americans oppose weakening protections for air, water, wildlife, and natural places in order to build and speed up infrastructure projects. – Hart Research, 2018
- 94 percent of all American voters believe that we can build and modernize our infrastructure while maintaining environmental protections. – Hart Research, 2018
- 59 percent of voters want a president who favors climate policies. – The Hill, 2015
- Catholic Republicans are more likely to believe in climate change. – Yale Project on Climate Change Communications, 2015
- Democrats consider climate change the federal government’s third highest priority. – Wall Street Journal poll, 2015
- 78 percent of Americans say the government should limit greenhouse gases, while 66 percent say they are more likely to vote for a candidate that advocates action to reduce GHGs. – New York Times/Standard poll, 2015
You can find an extensive list of polls related to climate change along with graphics on the Environmental and Energy Study Institute’s website for 2016 here and 2015 here.