Climate Change in the American Mind

The report finds that while a majority of registered U.S. voters support various clean energy policies and prefer candidates who take action on global warming, the issue remains low in priority for most voters when deciding on congressional candidates. There is strong bipartisan support for policies like soil restoration and renewable energy research, but significant polarization exists regarding the transition from fossil fuels and the Paris Climate Agreement.

• Global warming is a low priority for registered voters in the 2026 congressional elections; only 1% of voters identified it as their most important voting issue, ranking it 17th out of 25 issues.
• A majority of registered voters (59%) prefer candidates for public office who support action on global warming, though only 35% consider it a "very important" issue for their 2026 congressional vote.
• There is broad support for specific climate-friendly policies, with 87% supporting federal funding for soil restoration to store carbon and 77% supporting more research into renewable energy sources.
• Registered voters show strong support for protecting people from environmental hazards, with 92% supporting requirements for companies to protect workers from dangerous heat and 80% supporting stronger industrial pollution limits in low-income communities and communities of color.
• The Foreign Pollution Fee Act has very low awareness (2%) among registered voters, but 78% support the proposal after reading a brief description of the bill.
• Bipartisan support exists for the Paris Climate Agreement, with 77% of registered voters supporting U.S. participation and 64% opposing President Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement.
• Voters are divided on the economic impact of clean energy policies: 49% believe they will improve economic growth and jobs, while 27% believe they will reduce growth and cost jobs.
• A majority of registered voters (66%) believe the U.S. should use more renewable energy in the future, and 55% believe it should use fewer fossil fuels.
• While 33% of registered voters are willing to join a campaign to convince officials to take climate action, actual participation is low, with only 2% currently participating in such a campaign.
• A large majority of registered voters (73%) believe schools should teach children about the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to global warming.

APA

Center for Climate Change Communication (2025). Climate Change in the American Mind. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2025.pdf

Chicago

Center for Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind. 2025. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind |date=September 2025 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2025.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforclimatechangecommunication2025climate, author = {{Center for Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }