Public Resource
Poll: Young Americans Still Searching for Real Climate Leadership
American Conservation Coalition

Young Americans have mixed-to-negative attitudes about both President Biden and congressional Republicans’ handling of climate change. Air and water pollution and wildlife extinction are young Americans’ top climate concerns. This new poll of Americans aged 18-30, conducted by the conservative-leaning American Conservation Coalition, finds that young Americans are frustrated with how both parties are handling climate change. Climate and the environment are clearly top priorities for young Americans, as majorities say that climate change (55%) and environmental protection (53%) are “very” important to them in deciding who to vote for - putting these issues on par with, or higher than, any other issue priority aside from jobs and the economy (65%) and healthcare (64%). And when younger Americans are asked to rate how political leaders are handling the issue of climate change, both President Biden (39% approve / 44% disapprove) and Republicans in Congress (30% approve / 50% disapprove) are underwater. The poll reveals significant dissatisfaction among young partisans toward their own parties’ leaders, as nearly one-third of Democratic-leaning respondents disapprove of Biden’s handling of climate change (57% approve / 32% disapprove) and over one-third of Republican-leaning respondents disapprove of congressional Republicans’ handling of climate change (47% approve / 35% disapprove). Young Americans are also unsure whether Republicans in Congress even care about climate change, with 39% saying that congressional Republicans care about the issue and 41% saying they don’t. However, young Republicans overwhelmingly agree (71% agree / 22% disagree) that climate change is an issue that Republicans in Congress should care about.