Climate Activism: Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors

The report finds that while 53% of Americans support climate activists, only 33% believe such advocacy influences elected officials. There is a significant gap between willingness to act—such as 51% who would vote for a candidate based on their climate position if asked by a respected peer—and actual behavior, with only 11% having contacted an official in the past year. Trust in public figures like Bill Nye and Greta Thunberg is high among those familiar with them, and these figures are seen as potential catalysts for mobilizing climate campaigns.

• A majority of Americans (53%) support climate activists who urge elected officials to take action to reduce global warming, though this support is heavily split by political affiliation: 84% of Democrats, 50% of Independents, and 23% of Republicans.
• There is low confidence in the efficacy of citizen advocacy; only 33% of registered voters believe that actions such as rallies, marches, and petitions influence elected officials' decisions regarding global warming policies.
• Americans feel more capable of influencing local entities than national ones, with 50% confident they can affect local businesses and 48% confident they can affect local government, compared to only 35% confident in their ability to influence the federal government.
• While many Americans express a willingness to take political action if prompted by someone they respect—such as 55% who would sign a petition and 51% who would vote for a specific candidate—actual engagement is low, with only 11% having contacted an elected official in the previous 12 months.
• Americans significantly overestimate the prevalence of climate activism; while only 11% of adults actually contacted an elected official in the past year, the average American estimate is that 28% have done so.
• Consumer activism is practiced by about one-third of the population, with 32% rewarding companies that reduce global warming by buying their products and 27% punishing opposing companies by boycotting them.
• Public figures serve as influential sources of information and mobilization; among those familiar with them, Bill Nye (76%) and Greta Thunberg (67%) are the most trusted sources of information on global warming.
• Greta Thunberg and Bill Nye are the most likely public figures to influence people to join a climate campaign, with 43% and 42% of those familiar with them respectively stating they would join if asked.

APA

Center for Climate Change Communication (2019). Climate Activism: Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/global-warming-activism-november-2019.pdf

Chicago

Center for Climate Change Communication. Climate Activism: Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors. 2019. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/global-warming-activism-november-2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Activism: Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors |date=November 2019 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/global-warming-activism-november-2019.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforclimatechangecommunication2019climate, author = {{Center for Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Activism: Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/global-warming-activism-november-2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }