Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

5. Who is Responsible for Action on Global Warming?

5.1. Registered voters say government and individual actions are both important for responding to global warming.

Forty-seven percent of registered voters say actions taken by governments and individuals are about equally important for responding to global warming, while 21% say actions taken by governments are most important, seven percent say actions taken by individuals are most important, six percent say neither type of action is important because nothing can be done to response to global warming, and seven percent say neither type of action is important because global warming isn’t happening.The full text of the survey item and response categories are: Individuals and governments can both take actions to respond to global warming. Which do you think is more important for responding to global warming? (a) Actions taken by individuals; (b) Actions taken by governments; (c) Actions taken by individuals and governments are about equally important; (d) Neither type of action is important because nothing can be done to respond to global warming; (e) Neither type of action is important because global warming isn’t happening; (f) Don’t know.

Each political group is most likely to say actions taken by both governments and individuals are about equally important for responding to global warming, with a large number of liberal Democrats (41%) also saying that government actions, specifically, are most important.

5.2. Seven in ten registered voters want corporations and industry to do more to address global warming. Most also want more action from citizens and government.

Across party lines, registered voters say corporations and industry should do “much more” or “more” to address global warming (72% of all registered voters; including 96% of liberal Democrats, 92% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 65% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 39% of conservative Republicans). Majorities of liberal Democrats (95%), moderate/conservative Democrats (84%), and liberal/moderate Republicans (55%) also say citizens themselves should do more.

Half or more registered voters say the U.S. Congress (63%), the Republican Party (61%), their local government officials (59%), their governor (56%), the Democratic Party (54%), they themselves (54%), the media (52%), and President Biden (50%) should do more.

Four in ten liberal/moderate Republicans (40%) say their party (the Republican Party) should do more to address global warming, while only one in five conservative Republicans (20%) say so. Large majorities of both liberal Democrats (88%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (73%) say their party (the Democratic Party) should do more.