Climate Change in the American Mind: Climate Justice

The report finds that while only 34% of Americans have heard of 'climate justice', 53% support its goals after reading a description. There is significant political polarization regarding the term, but broad support among registered voters for specific policies, such as creating green spaces in low-income communities (81%) and training programs for renewable energy jobs (75%).

• Approximately half of Americans (49%) believe that global warming disproportionately harms certain groups in the U.S., with low-income individuals being the most frequently cited group (22%).
• There is a disparity in perception regarding which groups are most vulnerable: 48% of Americans agree that global warming harms lower-income people more than wealthier people, while only 32% believe it harms people of color more than white people, and 13% believe it harms women more than men.
• Awareness of the specific term 'climate justice' is low, with 65% of Americans reporting they have heard nothing about it. However, 53% of Americans express support for the goals of climate justice after being provided with a brief description of the concept.
• Registered voters show strong cross-partisan support for several climate justice policies, including creating parks and green spaces in low-income communities and communities of color (81%), strengthening industrial pollution enforcement in these areas (77%), and providing federal funding for energy efficiency in low-income residential buildings (76%).
• There is significant support among registered voters for workforce transitions, with 75% supporting national training programs for both people from low-income communities/communities of color and workers from the fossil fuel industry to move into renewable energy jobs.
• Political engagement with climate justice varies; 44% of registered voters are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports climate justice, and 25% are willing to join or are already participating in campaigns to advance climate justice.

APA

Center for Climate Change Communication (2023). Climate Change in the American Mind: Climate Justice. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-climate-justice-spring-2023-e.pdf

Chicago

Center for Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind: Climate Justice. 2023. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-climate-justice-spring-2023-e.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind: Climate Justice |date=March 2023 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-climate-justice-spring-2023-e.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforclimatechangecommunication2023climate, author = {{Center for Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind: Climate Justice}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-climate-justice-spring-2023-e.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }