The Political Benefits to Taking a Pro-Climate Stand in 2013

The report finds that concern about global warming and support for renewable energy are high across Democratic, Independent, and Republican voters, suggesting a political opportunity for candidates to take pro-climate stands. A majority of registered voters consider a candidate's position on global warming when voting, and there is broad support for eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and increasing renewable energy research.

• Concern regarding global warming is prevalent across political lines, with majorities of Democrats and Independents worried about its potential harm to themselves and future generations. Nearly half of Republicans also believe global warming will harm future generations of people and species.
• A majority of registered voters (58%) state that they consider a candidate's position on global warming when deciding how to vote. Among these 'issue voters', 83% believe global warming is happening and 65% attribute it to human activity.
• There is broad cross-party support for renewable energy policies. Majorities of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans support increasing the use of renewable energy and funding more research into these sources, while also supporting the elimination of federal subsidies for the fossil fuel industry.
• Voter support for a carbon tax is contingent on how the generated revenue is utilized. Candidates receive more support if the funds are used to create jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency, decrease pollution, or pay down the national debt, rather than providing tax rebates to households.
• There is significant support for the regulation of carbon dioxide as a pollutant among Democrats (80%) and Independents (74%), while Republicans are split evenly with 50% supporting and 50% opposing such regulation.
• There is a growing demand for the US government to do more to address global warming. Majorities of Democrats and Independents, as well as an increasing number of Republicans (over one third), believe Congress and President Obama should increase their efforts.

APA

Vraga, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Leiserowitz, A., & Maibach, E. (2013). The Political Benefits to Taking a Pro-Climate Stand in 2013. Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2013_01_The-Political-Benefits-to-Taking-a-Pro-Climate-Stand-in-2013.pdf

Chicago

Vraga, Emily, Connie Roser-Renouf, Anthony Leiserowitz, and Edward Maibach. The Political Benefits to Taking a Pro-Climate Stand in 2013. Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 2013. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2013_01_The-Political-Benefits-to-Taking-a-Pro-Climate-Stand-in-2013.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vraga |first1=Emily |last2=Roser-Renouf |first2=Connie |last3=Leiserowitz |first3=Anthony |last4=Maibach |first4=Edward |title=The Political Benefits to Taking a Pro-Climate Stand in 2013 |publisher=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |date=2013 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2013_01_The-Political-Benefits-to-Taking-a-Pro-Climate-Stand-in-2013.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vraga2013political, author = {Vraga, Emily and Roser-Renouf, Connie and Leiserowitz, Anthony and Maibach, Edward}, title = {{The Political Benefits to Taking a Pro-Climate Stand in 2013}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2013}, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/02/2013_01_The-Political-Benefits-to-Taking-a-Pro-Climate-Stand-in-2013.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }