American Catholics Worry About Global Warming and Support U.S. Action

A 2014 survey of American adults reveals that Catholics are more likely than other Christians to believe global warming is occurring, express concern about it, and support policy interventions. Specifically, 70% of Catholics believe global warming is happening, compared to 57% of non-Catholic Christians. Catholics also show higher support for renewable energy mandates and incentives, including a 69% support rate for requiring utilities to produce 20% of electricity from renewables, even with a $100 annual household cost increase.

• A majority of American Catholics believe global warming is occurring, and they are more likely than other Christians to attribute it to human causes. While 70% of Catholics believe global warming is happening, only 57% of non-Catholic Christians share this view; among those who believe it is happening, 48% of Catholics believe it is mostly human caused compared to 35% of other Christians.
• Catholics in the U.S. report higher levels of worry regarding global warming and a greater awareness of scientific consensus than other Christians. 64% of Catholics state they are very or somewhat worried, which is 18 percentage points higher than the 46% reported by other Christians. Additionally, 46% of Catholics recognize that most scientists believe global warming is happening, compared to 37% of other Christians.
• American Catholics demonstrate stronger support for climate-related policies than other Christians, particularly regarding renewable energy and energy efficiency. 81% of Catholics support funding research into renewable energy sources like wind and solar and providing tax rebates for solar panels or energy-efficient vehicles, while support among other Christians is 73% for both. The most significant gap is seen in support for requiring electric utilities to produce at least 20% of electricity from renewables despite a $100 annual cost increase, supported by 69% of Catholics and 53% of non-Catholic Christians.

APA

Grecni, Z. (2015). American Catholics Worry About Global Warming and Support U.S. Action. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/american-catholics-worry-about-global-warming-and-support-u-s-action/

Chicago

Grecni, Zena. American Catholics Worry About Global Warming and Support U.S. Action. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2015. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/american-catholics-worry-about-global-warming-and-support-u-s-action/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Grecni |first1=Zena |title=American Catholics Worry About Global Warming and Support U.S. Action |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=13 March 2015 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/american-catholics-worry-about-global-warming-and-support-u-s-action/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{grecni2015american, author = {Grecni, Zena}, title = {{American Catholics Worry About Global Warming and Support U.S. Action}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/american-catholics-worry-about-global-warming-and-support-u-s-action/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }