Climate Change in the American Mind

The report finds that while only 34% of Americans are familiar with the term 'climate justice,' a majority (53%) support its goals after receiving a description. There is significant political polarization regarding the causes of climate vulnerability, though a large majority of registered voters support specific climate justice policies, such as increasing green spaces and energy efficiency in low-income communities. Approximately 44% of registered voters are more likely to vote for candidates who support climate justice.

• About half of Americans (49%) believe that global warming disproportionately harms certain groups in the U.S., with 'People with lower incomes' being the most frequently cited group (22%).
• Public perception of vulnerability is split by demographic and political lines: 48% of Americans agree that global warming harms lower-income people more than wealthier people, while 32% believe it harms people of color more than white people, and 13% believe it harms women more than men.
• There is a significant political divide regarding the role of systemic racism in climate vulnerability; 34% of Americans agree that a history of racist policies increases the likelihood of people of color being harmed by global warming, a view held by 79% of liberal Democrats but only 4% of conservative Republicans.
• Awareness of the specific term 'climate justice' is low, with 65% of Americans reporting they have heard nothing about it. However, after reading a brief description of the concept, 53% of Americans say they support its goals.
• Registered voters show broad support for a range of climate justice policies, including creating more parks and green spaces in low-income communities and communities of color (81%), strengthening industrial pollution enforcement in these areas (77%), and providing federal funding for energy efficiency in low-income residential buildings (76%).
• Registered voters also support workforce development and systemic energy transitions, with 75% supporting national training programs for both low-income communities and fossil fuel workers to enter the renewable energy industry, and 69% supporting a transition to 100% clean energy by 2050.
• Climate justice is becoming a factor in political engagement, with 44% of registered voters stating they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports climate justice, and 25% expressing willingness to join or currently participating in campaigns to advance these goals.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2023). Climate Change in the American Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2023/09/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-climate-justice-spring-2023-e.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind. 2023. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2023/09/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-climate-justice-spring-2023-e.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind |date=March 2023 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2023/09/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-climate-justice-spring-2023-e.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2023climate, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2023/09/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-climate-justice-spring-2023-e.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }