This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including a major new international climate survey by the United Nations, new research on Americans’ beliefs about climate change and extreme weather, and new battleground polling about climate change and clean energy in the presidential race.

See this webpage for links to the following resources.

HEADLINES

• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): “Biggest ever” survey on climate change finds that 80% of people across the globe want their governments to take stronger action on climate change; while most Americans support stronger climate action and a transition to clean energy, U.S. support lags behind comparable nations [Release, Full Report]
• Oregon State University: Research finds that Americans are more confident blaming climate change for extreme heat and wildfires than for other types of extreme weather such as flooding, tornadoes, and hurricanes [Release, Journal Article]

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Now is the time to talk about the role of climate change in extreme heat. Polls consistently show that Americans have an easier time understanding the connections between climate change and hot and dry weather events than other types of extreme weather, and a new paper by researchers at Oregon State University affirms that Americans are more confident linking climate change to extreme heat and wildfires than to other weather events such as hurricanes, floods, or tornadoes. As a result, we tend to see climate concerns spike in polls in the warmer summer months. With record heat waves now hitting much of the U.S., Americans are especially primed to listen to solutions to curb the year-to-year increase in temperatures.
   
• Don’t assume that everyday people are hearing about the boom in clean energy jobs. Research continues to show that the American public is largely in the dark about climate accomplishments, including the rapid growth in clean energy jobs. In recent focus groups with Wisconsin voters, for example, Climate Power reports that “voters did not initially recognize clean energy as being a great job creator, but statistics like creating nearly 300,000 new jobs nationally and saving households nearly $100 a month helped voters see Biden’s actions as having a tangible impact on their lives.” With the economy and cost of living continuing to rate as the public’s biggest issue priorities, these kinds of proof points about the jobs and cost benefits of the clean energy transition are critical for building support for further clean energy expansion.

GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT

• [International Cooperation] 86% of people surveyed across 77 countries, including 80% in the United States, say that countries should work together on climate change even if they disagree on other issues [UNDP]
   
• [Climate Action] 66% of Americans want the United States to strengthen its commitment to address climate change [UNDP]
   
• [Adaptation/Resilience] 57% of Americans say that the United States should provide more protection for people at risk of extreme weather impacts [UNDP]
   
• [Clean Energy] 54% of Americans say that the United States should “quickly" transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy [UNDP]