Drawing on a representative sample of the U.S. adult population (n = 1,013; including the 890 registered voters whose data are used in this report), these findings describe how registered voters view a variety of domestic climate and energy policies. The survey was fielded from December 11 – 22, 2024, after the 2024 U.S. Presidential election.
This executive summary mostly presents the results for all registered voters, while the main text of the report also breaks the results down by political party and ideology.
Global Warming and Clean Energy as Government Priorities
- 54% of registered voters think global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress.
- 63% of registered voters think developing sources of clean energy should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress.
Policies to Reduce the Pollution that Causes Global Warming
Majorities of registered voters support a range of policies to reduce carbon pollution and promote clean energy. These include:
- 88% support federal funding to help farmers improve practices to protect and restore the soil so it absorbs and stores more carbon.
- 77% support funding more research into renewable energy sources.
- 74% support setting strict limits on methane emissions from oil and gas production.
- 73% support regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant.
- 69% support tax credits or rebates to encourage people to buy electric appliances, such as heat pumps and induction stoves.
- 69% support funding more research on global warming and climate change by federal agencies such as NASA, NOAA, and the EPA.
- 67% support requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a carbon tax and using the money to reduce other taxes by an equal amount.
- 63% support transitioning the U.S. economy from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050.
- 58% support tax rebates for people who purchase electric vehicles.
Energy Production
- 76% of registered voters support generating renewable energy on public land in the U.S.
- 51% support expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast.
- 46% support drilling and mining fossil fuels on public land in the U.S.
- 32% support drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Climate Justice Policies
Large majorities of registered voters support a variety of climate justice policies. These include:
- 77% support federal funding to make buildings in low-income communities more energy efficient.
- 76% support strengthening the enforcement of industrial pollution limits in low-income communities and communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by air and water pollution.
- 75% support a national program to train people who work in the fossil fuel industry for new jobs in the renewable energy industry.
- 69% support increasing federal funding to low-income communities and communities of color who are disproportionately impacted by air and water pollution.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA)
On August 16, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law. The law aims to curb inflation, reduce prescription drug prices and the cost of health insurance, modernize the Internal Revenue Service, and invest in U.S. clean energy production.
- 36% of registered voters have heard either “a lot” (12%) or “some” (24%) about the IRA.
- After reading a short description of the IRA, 70% of registered voters support it.
International Climate Action
- 73% of registered voters support U.S. participation in the Paris Climate Agreement.
- 61% support providing financial and technical support to developing countries that agree to limit their greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation) and 58% support providing such aid and support to help developing countries prepare for the impacts of global warming (adaptation).
- 46% support increasing tariffs on solar panels and electric vehicles imported from China, even if it increases the cost for U.S. consumers.
Energy Production as an Economic Issue
- 63% of registered voters either think policies that promote clean energy will improve economic growth and create jobs (42%) or that they will have no impact on growth or jobs (20%).
- 55% of registered voters think the clean energy industry will create more good jobs than the fossil fuel industry.
Transitioning from Fossil Fuels to Clean Energy
- 71% of registered voters say the U.S. should use more renewable energy than it does today and 61% say the U.S. should use less fossil fuels than it does today.
Who Should Act?
- Half or more registered voters say the following should do more to address global warming: Corporations and industry (69%), President Trump (61%), the Republican Party (61%), citizens themselves (60%), the U.S. Congress (59%), local government officials (55%), their governor (54%), the Democratic Party (52%), and the media (51%). 46% say they themselves should do more.
Political Advocacy
- 8% of registered voters have contacted government officials in the past year to urge them to take action to reduce global warming.
- If asked by a person they like and respect, 48% of registered voters say they would sign a petition about global warming, 28% would donate money to an organization working on global warming, 27% would contact government officials about global warming, 26% would volunteer their time to an organization working on global warming, and 26% would meet with an elected official or their staff about global warming.
- 22% say they would support an organization engaging in non-violent civil disobedience against corporate or government activities that make global warming worse, 11% say they would personally engage in non-violent civil disobedience, and 3% say they would be willing to get arrested as part of such an action.
- 1% say they are currently participating in a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming, while 7% say they would “definitely” join such a campaign and 18% would “probably” join one.
Collective Efficacy
- 38% of registered voters are at least “moderately confident” that people like them, working together, can affect what the federal government does about global warming, and 36% are confident that they can affect what corporations do about global warming.
Educating Students About Global Warming
- 77% of registered voters say that schools should teach children about global warming’s causes, consequences, and potential solutions.