Politics & Global Warming

A December 2020 survey of 949 registered U.S. voters reveals broad support for clean energy development and various climate policies, though significant partisan divides remain regarding the urgency of global warming and specific regulatory measures. While majorities support transitioning to 100% clean energy by 2050 and participating in the Paris Climate Agreement, support for fossil fuel expansion remains higher among Republicans. The report also highlights a general consensus on the importance of infrastructure investment and climate education in schools.

• A majority of registered voters view clean energy and global warming as government priorities, with 66% stating that developing clean energy sources should be a "high or very high priority for the president and Congress" and 53% saying the same for global warming.
• There is strong bipartisan support for several clean energy and efficiency policies, including tax rebates for energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels (82%), funding for renewable energy research (82%), and stronger energy efficiency standards for new buildings (86%).
• Registered voters show significant support for transitioning the U.S. economy to 100% clean energy by 2050 (72%) and for the U.S. to participate in the Paris Climate Agreement (75%).
• Public opinion on fossil fuel production is divided; while 40% support drilling and mining fossil fuels on public land and 47% support offshore drilling, only 28% support drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
• A majority of registered voters (66%) support the Green New Deal, although only 18% of respondents report having heard "a lot" about the proposal.
• Regarding the economic impact of the energy transition, 56% of voters believe clean energy policies will improve economic growth and create jobs, and 61% believe clean energy production will create more new jobs than fossil fuel production.
• There is broad support for government investment in infrastructure (68%), with the highest priorities being roads, bridges, and highways (93%) and public water supply systems (90%).
• A majority of registered voters (64%) believe the U.S. should reduce greenhouse gas emissions regardless of the actions of other countries, and 70% believe corporations and industry should do more to address global warming.
• There is strong support (78%) for schools teaching children about the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to global warming.
• Global warming was an important factor in the 2020 election for 48% of registered voters, though this was heavily split by party, with 74% of Democrats and only 24% of Republicans citing it as important.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2020). Politics & Global Warming. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/01/politics-global-warming-december-2020b.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Politics & Global Warming. 2020. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/01/politics-global-warming-december-2020b.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Politics & Global Warming |date=December 2020 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/01/politics-global-warming-december-2020b.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2020politics, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Politics \& Global Warming}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/01/politics-global-warming-december-2020b.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }