BROOKVILLE, NY, June 14, 2021 – Results of a newly released Long Island University Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling and Analysis national poll reveal where Americans stand on climate change as President Biden and world leaders recently met to discuss a way forward at the G7 Summit in the United Kingdom.
PDF Format – Includes sample and methodology detail
THE G7 SUMMIT, WORLD LEADERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
World leaders met at the G7 summit in Cornwall, England from June 11-13, 2021. The G7 Summit is an event that brings together leaders of some of the world’s largest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The agenda included discussion on climate change. World leaders at the G7 Summit pledged a commitment to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030 and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. These pledges are anticipated to impact the direction of climate change policy measures of the world’s largest economies.
WHERE AMERICANS STAND ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Is global warming a serious and pressing problem?
73% OF AMERICANS SAID YES.
Americans were asked if global warming is a serious and pressing problem. Of the respondents, 73% of Americans said yes, 17% said no, and 9% were unsure or had no answer. 94% of Democrats said yes, 70% of independent/other said yes, and 48% of Republicans said yes. Younger Americans were more concerned that global warming was a serious and pressing problem than older Americans. 80% of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 said yes, while 68% of respondents aged 45 years and older said yes. The largest regional differences indicated the Northeast region of the United States has the highest concern (83%) compared to the Mountain region (67%).
How much is the United States as a country doing to combat climate change?
65% OF AMERICANS SAID TOO LITTLE.
Americans were asked how much the United States is doing to combat climate change as a country. 65% of respondents agreed that the United States is doing too little. 20% of respondents said what the United States is doing to combat climate change is about right. 15% of respondents said the United States is doing too much to combat climate change. Respondents were mixed based on political identification. 84% of Democrats said the United States is doing too little, 67% of independent/other said the United States is doing too little, and 35% of Republicans said the United States is doing too little.
Do you believe the benefits of taking further action on climate change will outweigh the costs?
63% OF AMERICANS SAID YES.
Americans were asked if they believe the benefits of taking further action on climate change will outweigh the costs. 63% of American respondents said yes, 21% said no, and 16% said they were unsure or had no answer. Respondents were again mixed based on political identification. 83% of Democrats said yes, 57% of independent/other said yes, and 42% of Republicans said yes.
What climate change actions do Americans agree on?
Americans were asked what federal policies they would support to combat climate change. 69% of Americans said YES to policies that would support subsidies for renewable energy technologies. 61% of respondents said YES to policies that would support subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles. 60% of Americans said YES to a net-zero emissions target for 2050.
METHODOLOGY
This Long Island University Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis online poll was conducted through SurveyMonkey from June 10 – 11, 2021 among a national sample of 1,607 adults ages 18 and up. Respondents for this survey were selected from over 2.5 million people who take surveys on the SurveyMonkey platform each day. Data for this week have been weighted for age and gender using the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to reflect the demographic composition of the United States. The modeled error estimate for this survey is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
ABOUT THE LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY STEVEN S. HORNSTEIN CENTER FOR POLICY, POLLING, AND ANALYSIS
The Long Island University Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis conducts independent polling, empirical research, and analysis on a wide range of public issues. Our studies inform the public and policy makers about critical issues, attitudes, and trends shaping the world. Visit liu.edu/Hornstein for more information and results from this national poll.
ABOUT LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY
Long Island University, founded in 1926, continues to redefine higher education, providing high quality academic instruction by world-class faculty. Recognized by Forbes for its emphasis on experiential learning and by the Brookings Institution for its “value added” to student outcomes, LIU offers over 250 degree programs, with a network of 270,000 alumni that includes industry leaders and entrepreneurs across the globe. Visit liu.edu for more information.
