Public Support for Climate & Energy Policies in May 2011

The report finds broad American support for prioritizing global warming and clean energy, with a majority favoring action from corporations, government, and citizens. A significant portion of the population believes environmental protection supports economic growth, and there is strong support for renewable energy research and local sustainability policies, though support for nuclear power remains low, especially at the local level.

• A majority of Americans view global warming and clean energy development as priorities for the U.S. government, with 71% prioritizing global warming and 91% prioritizing clean energy sources.
• Most Americans support action to address global warming from various entities, including corporations (65%), citizens (63%), Congress (57%), and President Obama (54%). Additionally, 67% believe the U.S. should pursue large or medium-scale efforts to reduce global warming despite potential economic costs.
• There is a strong perception that environmental protection is economically beneficial or neutral, with 82% of Americans stating it either improves economic growth and jobs or has no effect.
• Public support for energy policies is mixed: 84% support renewable energy research and 68% support a 20% renewable electricity mandate (even at a cost of $100/year per household), while 66% support expanding offshore drilling. Support for nuclear power is lower, with 47% supporting more plants nationally and only 33% supporting a plant in their own local area.
• Americans show high support for local sustainability and urban planning policies, including public transportation (80%), bike lanes (77%), energy-efficient new homes (71%), and zoning changes to promote mixed development (57%) and decrease sprawl (56%).

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2011). Public Support for Climate & Energy Policies in May 2011. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/public-support-for-climate-energy-policies-in-may-2011/

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Public Support for Climate & Energy Policies in May 2011. 2011. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/public-support-for-climate-energy-policies-in-may-2011/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Public Support for Climate & Energy Policies in May 2011 |date=13 June 2011 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/public-support-for-climate-energy-policies-in-may-2011/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2011public, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Public Support for Climate \& Energy Policies in May 2011}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2011}, month = jun, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/public-support-for-climate-energy-policies-in-may-2011/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }