Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

Dive into Climate Change in the American Mind using the CCAM Explorer, our new interactive data visualization tool. 

Public opinion plays a critical role in the American response to global warming. Our twice a year Climate Change in the American Mind nationally representative surveys investigate, track, and explain public climate change knowledge, risk perceptions, policy support and behavior. Our findings are published in numerous reports and peer-reviewed articles and are cited by leading news organizations, academic journals, and online media around the world.

Our surveys—conducted in partnership with the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University—are the most comprehensive of their kind and draw on the leading scholarship and survey research expertise of our multidisciplinary staff and partners. Our findings provide insights vital to the design of effective climate change education and communication campaigns conducted by local, state, and national governments, environmental organizations, academic institutions, businesses, faith groups, doctors, and scientists.

The most recent reports, from our surveys conducted in 2022 – 2024, are:

Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, Spring 2024

Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2024

Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, Fall 2023

Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Fall 2023

Climate Change in the American Mind: Climate Justice, Spring 2023

Climate Change in the American Mind, Politics & Policy, Spring 2023

Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, Spring 2023

Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, December 2022

Climate Change in the American Mind, Politics & Policy, December 2022

Politics and Global Warming, April 2022

Climate Change in the American Mind, April 2022

Global Warming’s Six Americas

Our research has identified “Global Warming’s Six Americas,” six unique target audiences in the U.S. that respond to climate change in different ways. Understanding these Six Americas—from the “Alarmed” (Americans who are very worried about global warming and are taking action) to the “Dismissive” (those who think global warming is non-existent, not a threat, or an outright hoax)—has been critical to the efforts of NGOs, advocates, government organizations, and others seeking to better communicate the threat of global warming to their constituencies. The surveys have greatly advanced our understanding of the psychological, cultural, and political drivers of American climate change attitudes, policy preferences, and behaviors.

State and Local Studies

Individual studies in California (including an in-depth survey of San Francisco), Colorado, Ohio (including an in-depth survey of Columbus), and Texas were conducted in 2013 to validate the results of our first Yale Climate Opinion Maps (2014). Additional state and local surveys were conducted in Alaska, Florida, and New York City to gain a deeper understanding of how different parts of the country, and different audiences, think about climate change.

The Climate Literacy Project (2010) 

As a supplement to the Climate Change in the American Mind surveys, we conducted a large-scale national survey assessment of adult and 6-12 grade students’ understanding of the climate system and the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to climate change. This project provided a baseline assessment for climate change educators across the United States and an evaluation tool for educators to assess and track improvements in climate literacy among students and public audiences. We published several reports based on the findings:

• Americans’ Knowledge of Climate Change

• Knowledge of Climate Change Across Global Warming’s Six Americas

• American Teens’ Knowledge of Climate Change

• Knowledge of Climate Change Among Visitors to Science & Technology Centers