Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

1. Should the U.S. Act on Global Warming?

1.1. Most registered voters say the U.S. should participate in the international agreement to limit global warming

In December 2015, officials from 197 countries (nearly every country in the world) met in Paris at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (Conference of the Parties – COP21) and negotiated a global agreement to limit global warming. Earth Day, in April 2016, the U.S. and 174 other countries signed the agreement, with most of the others following suit since then. During the U.S. presidential campaign of 2016, however, now President-elect Trump said he would cancel U.S. participation in the COP21 agreement.Volcovici, V., & Stephenson, E. (2016, May 27). Trump vows to undo Obama’s climate agenda in appeal to oil sector. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-energy-idUSKCN0YH2D9.

Seven in ten registered voters (69%) say the U.S. should participate in the COP21 agreement, compared with only 13% who say the U.S. should not.

Majorities of Democrats (86%) and Independents (61%), and half of Republicans (51%) say the U.S. should participate (including 73% of moderate/liberal Republicans). Only conservative Republicans are split, with marginally more saying the U.S. should participate (40%) than saying we should not participate (34%).

1.2. Two-thirds of registered voters say the U.S. should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of what other countries do.

Most registered voters think the U.S. should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of what other countries do (66%). Majorities of liberal Democrats (85%), moderate/conservative Democrats (74%), and liberal/moderate Republicans (61%) take this position, while nearly half of conservative Republicans (45%) do too.

Only 7% of registered voters (including only 3% of Democrats, 9% of Independents, and 11% of Republicans) say the U.S. should not reduce its emissions (see Data Tables).