Politics & Global Warming

The report finds that while Democrats are more likely than Republicans to believe in human-caused global warming and support climate action, liberal and moderate Republicans often align with the mainstream public. Conservative Republicans remain the primary group opposed to climate action and skeptical of global warming. There is broad cross-party support for renewable energy research and tax rebates for energy-efficient products, though significant divisions persist regarding carbon taxes and emission limits on coal plants.

• Registered voters are more likely to support a presidential candidate who strongly supports action to reduce global warming (36%) than one who strongly opposes such action (13%). Only conservative Republicans are more likely to support a candidate who opposes climate action.
• There is a significant divide within the Republican party; liberal and moderate Republicans often share views with moderate or conservative Democrats, while conservative Republicans' views are distinct from the rest of the public.
• Two-thirds of registered voters (68%) believe global warming is happening, though this is lowest among conservative Republicans (43%), despite a 15-point increase for that group since Spring 2014.
• A majority of registered voters (52%) believe global warming is caused mostly by human activities, with strong support among Democrats (72%) and low support among conservative Republicans (22%).
• Americans generally underestimate the scientific consensus on climate change; while 97% of climate scientists are convinced of human-caused global warming, the median estimate among registered voters is 59%.
• There is broad, cross-party support for several energy policies: 84% support more research into renewable energy (solar and wind), 80% support tax rebates for energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels, 74% support regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant, and 66% support a carbon tax for fossil fuel companies if used to reduce other taxes.
• Support for strict carbon dioxide emission limits on existing coal-fired power plants is high among Democrats (84%), Independents (65%), and liberal/moderate Republicans (66%), but low among conservative Republicans (37%).
• Prior to COP21, 62% of Americans believed it was important for the world to reach an agreement in Paris to limit global warming, though only 36% of conservative Republicans agreed.
• A majority of registered voters believe that taking steps to reduce global warming will lead to a better life for future generations (64%), improved health (59%), and the preservation of plant and animal species (55%).
• Over half of registered voters (57%) expect that U.S. steps to reduce global warming will cause energy prices to rise, while fewer than one-third believe it will cost jobs (28%) or interfere with the free market (27%).

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2015). Politics & Global Warming. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/01/Politics-and-Global-Warming-Fall-2015-2.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Politics & Global Warming. 2015. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/01/Politics-and-Global-Warming-Fall-2015-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Politics & Global Warming |date=2015 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/01/Politics-and-Global-Warming-Fall-2015-2.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2015politics, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Politics \& Global Warming}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2015}, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2016/01/Politics-and-Global-Warming-Fall-2015-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }