Americans Support Strong Climate Energy Policies

The report finds that a large majority of Americans, across political affiliations, support federal climate and energy policies such as renewable energy research and carbon dioxide regulation, even as general concern about global warming has declined. While support for cap-and-trade is sensitive to cost increases, it increases significantly if households receive offsets to cover higher energy costs.

• A significant majority of Americans support several federal climate and energy initiatives: 85% support funding for renewable energy research (solar and wind), 82% support tax rebates for fuel-efficient vehicles or solar panels, 72% support energy-saving education programs, 71% support regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant, 70% support school curricula on global warming, 61% support an international treaty to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 90% by 2050, and 60% support general public education on global warming.
• Public support for cap-and-trade is highly dependent on financial offsets; while 58% support the policy when explained, support drops to approximately 40% if monthly energy costs increase by $15. However, support rises to 66% if households receive a yearly bonus of $180 to offset costs, and increases to 71% if the bonus is doubled and dedicated to energy efficiency improvements.
• Bipartisan support exists for several policies, including renewable energy research, tax rebates, carbon dioxide regulation, and expanded offshore drilling for oil and natural gas. Additionally, majorities of both Republicans and Democrats support returning cap-and-trade revenues to households to offset energy costs.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2010). Americans Support Strong Climate Energy Policies. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/americans-support-strong-climate-energy-policies/

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Americans Support Strong Climate Energy Policies. 2010. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/americans-support-strong-climate-energy-policies/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Americans Support Strong Climate Energy Policies |date=4 February 2010 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/americans-support-strong-climate-energy-policies/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2010americans, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Americans Support Strong Climate Energy Policies}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2010}, month = feb, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/americans-support-strong-climate-energy-policies/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }