The attitude-behavior gap on climate action: How can it be bridged?

The document provides data tables from surveys of U.S. adults conducted between March 2021 and October 2023. It highlights a significant gap between the percentage of people willing to take climate actions and those who have actually done so. It also analyzes how social influences, such as discussions with family and friends and confidence in collective action, differ between active and inactive individuals who are otherwise willing to act.

• There is a substantial gap between the willingness of Americans to engage in climate actions and their actual behavior over a 12-month period. For example, while 51% of Americans said they definitely or probably would sign a petition about global warming, only 16% had actually done so. Similarly, 31% were willing to donate money, but only 13% did; 29% were willing to volunteer, but only 6% did; and 28% were willing to contact government officials, but only 8% did.
• Social influence from a respected individual increases the likelihood of action, but a gap remains. Among those who 'definitely' would act if asked by someone they like and respect, 56% had donated money, 41% had signed a petition, 40% had contacted government officials, and 32% had volunteered. In contrast, among those who 'probably' would act under the same condition, the rates of action were much lower, ranging from 11% for volunteering to 23% for donating money.
• Individuals who are both willing and active in climate action report significantly stronger social norms and more frequent climate-related communication than those who are willing but inactive. 78% of 'Definitely willing and active' Americans discuss global warming with family and friends 'often' or 'occasionally', compared to 50% of those who are 'Definitely willing and inactive' and 23% of 'All other Americans'. Additionally, 71% of the active group believe their family and friends think it is at least 'moderately' important that they take action, compared to 59% of the inactive group and 31% of others.
• Confidence in collective efficacy is higher among those who are actively taking climate action. 74% of 'Definitely willing and active' Americans are confident that people like them, working together, can affect what the federal government does about global warming, compared to 61% of those who are 'Definitely willing and inactive' and 36% of 'All other Americans'. A similar trend is seen regarding corporate influence, where 62% of the active group expressed confidence compared to 55% of the inactive group and 35% of others.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (n.d.). The attitude-behavior gap on climate action: How can it be bridged? https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/attitude-behavior-gap-data-tables.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. The attitude-behavior gap on climate action: How can it be bridged? n.d. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/attitude-behavior-gap-data-tables.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=The attitude-behavior gap on climate action: How can it be bridged? |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/attitude-behavior-gap-data-tables.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunicationndattitudebehavior, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{The attitude-behavior gap on climate action: How can it be bridged?}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/attitude-behavior-gap-data-tables.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }