Report · Jul 9, 2026
Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, Spring 2026
By Anthony Leiserowitz, John Kotcher, Seth Rosenthal, Emily Goddard, Jennifer Carman, Marija Verner, Teresa Myers, Joshua Ettinger, Julia Fine, Emily Richards, Matthew Goldberg, Jennifer Marlon and Edward Maibach
Filed under: Beliefs & Attitudes, Behaviors & Actions and Climate Impacts
7. How Americans Conceptualize Global Warming
7.1 Americans are most likely to think of global warming as an environmental, scientific, agricultural, or severe weather issue.
Global warming is a complex challenge with many dimensions. Understanding how people conceptualize the issue is critical to formulating effective communication strategies.
A large majority of Americans think global warming is an environmental issue (76%). More than half think global warming is a scientific (69%), agricultural (65%), severe weather (64%), health (61%), economic (60%), political (57%), and/or humanitarian (56%) issue.
Fewer think global warming is a moral (43%), poverty (35%), social justice (33%), national security (32%), and/or religious (10%) issue.
