Public Support for International Climate Action

The report presents survey data from March 2021 on U.S. registered voters' attitudes toward international climate action. It finds broad support for the U.S. reducing emissions regardless of other countries' actions, participation in the Paris Climate Agreement, and pressuring other nations to reduce carbon pollution. While there is strong consensus that developing and industrialized nations should do more to address global warming, support for providing financial and technical aid to developing countries for mitigation and adaptation is more divided along partisan lines.

• A majority of registered voters (61%) believe the United States should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions independently of the actions of other countries. This view is most prevalent among liberal Democrats (88%) and least common among conservative Republicans (36%).
• There is high public consensus that other nations should increase their efforts to combat global warming: 79% of registered voters believe developing countries (such as China, India, and Brazil) should do more, 71% believe other industrialized countries (such as England, Germany, and Japan) should do more, and 65% believe the United States should do more.
• Support for U.S. participation in the Paris Climate Agreement is high overall at 70%, though it varies significantly by political affiliation, ranging from 96% among liberal and moderate/conservative Democrats to 35% among conservative Republicans.
• More than half of registered voters support the U.S. providing financial and technical assistance to developing countries for both climate mitigation (58%) and adaptation (54%). Support is strongest among Democrats and lowest among conservative Republicans, where only 26% support mitigation aid and 19% support adaptation aid.
• Three-quarters of registered voters (75%) support the United States using pressure to encourage other countries to reduce their carbon pollution, with support reaching 96% among liberal Democrats and 51% among conservative Republicans.

APA

Center for Climate Change Communication (2021). Public Support for International Climate Action. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/public-support-international-climate-action-march-2021.pdf

Chicago

Center for Climate Change Communication. Public Support for International Climate Action. 2021. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/public-support-international-climate-action-march-2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for Climate Change Communication |title=Public Support for International Climate Action |date=March 2021 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/public-support-international-climate-action-march-2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforclimatechangecommunication2021public, author = {{Center for Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Public Support for International Climate Action}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/public-support-international-climate-action-march-2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }