Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

3. Support for Action on Global Warming

3.1. About half of Clinton and Sanders supporters would be willing to join a campaign to convince elected officials to reduce global warming. Few supporters of the Republican candidates would, Cruz supporters least of all.

About half of Sanders and Clinton supporters would be willing to join – or are currently participating in – a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming (51% and 47%, respectively).

By contrast, fewer than one in five supporters of the Republican candidates would be willing to do so (Kasich: 17%, Trump: 16%, Cruz: 11%).

3.2. A majority of all candidates’ voters support funding more research into renewable energy and providing tax rebates to people who buy energy efficient vehicles or solar panels.

Registered voters support a broad array of energy policies, including many designed to reduce carbon pollution and dependence on fossil fuels, and to promote clean energy. The Democratic candidates’ supporters are the most likely to strongly or somewhat support such policies, but supporters of the Republican candidates do as well, including:

• Funding more research into renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power (Sanders: 93%, Clinton: 91%, Kasich: 86%, Trump: 76%, Cruz: 64%).
• Providing tax rebates to people who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels (Sanders: 94%, Clinton: 92%, Kasich: 80%, Trump: 70%, Cruz: 59%).

At least half of supporters of all candidates except Cruz also would support:

• Regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant (Clinton: 91%, Sanders: 87%, Kasich: 74%, Trump: 62%, Cruz: 47%).
• Requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a carbon tax and using the money to reduce other taxes such as income taxes by an equal amount (Sanders: 88%, Clinton: 85%, Kasich: 53%, Trump: 51%, Cruz: 27%).

Conversely, fewer than half of Clinton (42%) or Sanders (35%) voters support the expansion of offshore drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast, while significant majorities of Republican candidate voters support it (Cruz: 85%, Trump: 75%, Kasich: 67%).

3.3. Half or more Clinton, Sanders, Kasich, and Trump voters support strict CO₂ emission limits on coal-fired power plants; fewer Cruz supporters agree.

Most Sanders and Clinton supporters (90% and 87%, respectively) and over half of Kasich voters (61%) support setting strict carbon dioxide emission limits on existing coal-fired power plants to reduce global warming and improve public health, even if the cost of electricity to consumers and companies would likely increase.

Half of Trump supporters do as well (50%). By contrast, only 36% of Cruz supporters agree.

3.4. Half or more Clinton, Sanders, Kasich, and Trump supporters say the U.S. should reduce its CO₂ emissions regardless of what other countries do. Fewer Cruz supporters agree.

Most Sanders and Clinton supporters (90% and 76%, respectively) and over half of Kasich voters (61%) think the U.S. should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of what other countries do.

About half of Trump supporters agree (49%), but only four in 10 Cruz supporters (40%) do.