Results from National Survey on Climate Liability Lawsuits, Messages, and Issue Support

A February 2019 survey of 16,798 registered US voters indicates broad, bipartisan support for holding oil and gas companies responsible for climate change damages and adaptation costs. The data shows that support for lawsuits against polluters increases significantly after respondents are informed about the fossil fuel industry's history of disinformation campaigns.

• A majority of US voters support holding oil and gas companies financially responsible for climate impacts, with 70% stating they should be responsible for some portion of protection costs and 71% supporting lawsuits to pay for climate-related damages.
• Information regarding the fossil fuel industry's deception campaigns increases the proportion of voters who hold these companies responsible. The percentage of respondents who view oil and gas companies as 'very' or 'somewhat' responsible for impacts like extreme heat and sea level rise rises from 67% to 83% after reading about the deception. Furthermore, the share of respondents identifying these companies as the entity most responsible for paying for adaptation costs increases from 22% to 45%.
• Support for holding the fossil fuel industry accountable for climate costs is bipartisan. After learning about disinformation campaigns, support reaches 91% among Democrats, 78% among Independents, and 73% among Republicans. Support for lawsuits specifically is 88% for Democrats, 68% for Independents, and 59% for Republicans.
• While some voters feel personal responsibility for climate change, this sentiment decreases after they are informed about industry deception. The percentage of respondents who 'strongly' agree that every person is responsible for climate change drops from 43% to 35% after learning about the industry's deception and legal efforts.

APA

Center for Climate Integrity (2019). Results from National Survey on Climate Liability Lawsuits, Messages, and Issue Support. https://climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/CCI_2019_Polling_Brief.pdf

Chicago

Center for Climate Integrity. Results from National Survey on Climate Liability Lawsuits, Messages, and Issue Support. 2019. https://climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/CCI_2019_Polling_Brief.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for Climate Integrity |title=Results from National Survey on Climate Liability Lawsuits, Messages, and Issue Support |date=February 2019 |url=https://climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/CCI_2019_Polling_Brief.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforclimateintegrity2019results, author = {{Center for Climate Integrity}}, title = {{Results from National Survey on Climate Liability Lawsuits, Messages, and Issue Support}}, institution = {Center for Climate Integrity}, year = {2019}, month = feb, url = {https://climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/CCI_2019_Polling_Brief.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }