Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes

A survey of 1,068 American adults in Spring 2026 reveals that 68% believe global warming is happening, with 59% attributing it primarily to human activity. While 66% of respondents express worry about global warming and a majority perceive it as an environmental, scientific, or agricultural issue, social engagement remains low, with 69% rarely or never discussing the topic with family and friends.

• A significant majority of Americans believe global warming is occurring, with those who believe it is happening outnumbering those who do not by more than 4 to 1 (68% vs 16%). When including those who 'lean' toward a yes answer, the total reaches 78%.
• Most Americans attribute global warming to human activity rather than natural causes, with 59% stating it is mostly human-caused compared to 27% who believe it is caused by natural changes in the environment.
• There is a general understanding of scientific consensus, as 54% of Americans recognize that most scientists believe global warming is happening, while 25% erroneously believe there is significant disagreement among scientists.
• Perceptions of immediate harm are prevalent, with 47% of Americans believing people in the U.S. are being harmed by global warming "right now" and 46% reporting they have personally experienced its effects.
• Americans perceive the highest risks of global warming for plant and animal species (68%), future generations (68%), the world's poor (64%), and people in developing countries (62%).
• Worry about global warming is widespread, with 66% of Americans reporting they are at least "somewhat worried," including 29% who are "very worried."
• A majority of Americans (59%) believe global warming is affecting weather in the U.S. Local concerns include water pollution (79%), mosquito and tick-borne diseases (79%), power outages (78%), air pollution (77%), and extreme heat (77%).
• Social engagement with the topic is low; 69% of Americans rarely or never discuss global warming with family and friends, and only 17% hear people they know talk about it at least once a month.
• Americans conceptualize global warming as a multifaceted issue, most commonly identifying it as an environmental (76%), scientific (69%), agricultural (65%), or severe weather (64%) issue.
• There is a divide regarding the role of technology in solving the crisis, with 52% disagreeing that new technologies can solve global warming without individuals making significant life changes.
• Consumer activism is practiced by a minority, with 29% of Americans rewarding companies that take steps to reduce global warming and 26% punishing those that oppose such steps through their purchasing decisions.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2026). Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2026/09/climate-change-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2026b.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes. 2026. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2026/09/climate-change-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2026b.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes |date=2026 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2026/09/climate-change-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2026b.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2026climate, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs \& Attitudes}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2026}, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2026/09/climate-change-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2026b.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }