This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling on Americans attitudes toward various sources of energy + lots of new research about young Americans’ views on climate change and President Biden’s handling of the issue.

Americans widely back President Biden’s goal to cut climate pollution in half by the end of the decade. Among possible climate actions, Americans particularly prioritize energy efficiency and the development of clean energy. 73% of Americans agree that the federal government should design its climate policies to meet the announced goal of cutting the country’s greenhouse gas emissions in half by the year 2030. 71% of Americans say that prioritizing investments in clean energy sources over energy from fossil fuels should be a “top” or “important” priority for the government. 71% of Americans say that offering federal tax credits for purchasing and installing ultra-efficient home heating and cooling systems should be a “top” or “important” priority for the government. 58% of Americans say that the federal government is doing too little to try to reduce climate change. 58% of Americans say that the energy industry is doing too little to try to reduce climate change. 63% of Americans are worried about the risks of climate change in their community.

Young Americans don’t believe the Biden administration has done enough to combat climate change or to hold oil and gas companies accountable. Young Americans particularly want to see the administration close outdated oil and gas pipelines. 64% of young Americans aged 18-34 support closing outdated oil and gas pipelines. 59% of young Americans aged 18-34 support preventing new oil drilling on federal lands and waters. 54% of young Americans aged 18-34 support halting the expansion of methane gas exports. President Biden is deeply underwater with young Americans aged 18-34. This group is twice as likely to say that Biden is doing a “poor” or “not so good” job as president (65%) as to say that he is doing a “good” or “excellent” job (32%). Biden is even further underwater with this group on his ratings for combating climate change (24% excellent or good / 59% not so good or poor) and for holding oil and gas companies accountable (15% excellent or good / 61% not so good or poor).

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including lots of new polling and message testing on international climate action to coincide with COP28.

Voters say that the U.S. should take action on climate change, regardless of what other countries do. Three-quarters say that it’s important for the U.S. to demonstrate “significant” climate action to the international community. 77% of voters say that it’s important for the United States to be able to show other nations at COP28 that we are taking “significant” actions to address climate change. 73% of voters agree that the U.S. should work with other countries to combat climate change and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. 65% of voters agree with a statement that the United States “should take ambitious action to address climate change, even if other countries do not” and that “we should lead the world on this issue and set the example for other countries to follow suit”.

Despite heavy polarization, the steady majority of voters want the country to prioritize climate change and most also want 100% clean energy. 60% of voters agree that the United States should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, “regardless of what other countries do”. 60% of voters support providing financial aid and technical support to developing countries that agree to limit their greenhouse gas emissions. 57% of voters support providing financial aid and technical support to developing countries to help them prepare for the impacts of global warming. 64% of voters support transitioning the U.S. economy from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050. 63% of voters support requiring electric utilities to produce 100% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2035.

Americans are far more likely to support investment in solar and wind than other energy sources, and the public continues to underestimate pollution from “natural” gas. Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) say that the United States should be spending more on research and development of wind and solar energy in the next few years. A little over half (53%) also say that the country should invest more in next generation nuclear energy, while less than half support greater investment in the research and development of fossil fuels including oil (39%), “natural” gas (39%), and coal (31%). The public recognizes oil and coal as dirty energy sources, but continues to underestimate the pollution from “natural” gas. Clear majorities say that oil (71%) and coal (68%) contribute at least “some” to unhealthy air pollution and climate change, but only around half (52%) say that natural gas does.

The majority of Americans say that they want to live in a home where all or most appliances are electric. This recent polling, conducted by Yale and GMU in collaboration with UC-Santa Barbara and Rewiring America, affirms that the majority of Americans want to live in homes with all or mostly electric appliances. When given the choice (and asked to assume that costs and features are the same), three in five (60%) say that they want to live in a home where all major appliances or most electric appliances are powered by electricity. A more detailed breakdown shows that: 31% prefer a home in which all major appliances (stove, heating system, water heater, etc.) are powered by electricity; 29% prefer a home in which most major appliances (heating system, water heater, etc.) are powered by electricity, but which has a gas stove for cooking; 21% prefer a home in which most or all major appliances (stove, heating system, water heater, etc.) are powered by natural gas, propane, or oil; 18% don’t know or have no preference.

Voters continue to widely support the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law two years after it was signed into law. Replacing lead-contaminated pipes is the single most popular part of the legislation. Navigator finds that voters support President Biden’s signature infrastructure legislation by an overwhelming margin (65% support / 22% oppose) when it’s described as “an infrastructure plan to improve roads and bridges, expand power infrastructure, increase passenger and rail access, and improve water infrastructure” that was passed by “President Biden and a bipartisan group of lawmakers.” The infrastructure law enjoys the support of nearly nine in ten Democrats (89%), while independent voters support it by a two-to-one margin (52% support / 25% oppose) and Republican voters are split about evenly (43% support / 41% oppose). And in terms of specific policies, Navigator finds that replacing lead-contaminated pipes is the single most popular aspect of the infrastructure law. Nearly nine in ten voters (87%) support the infrastructure law’s provision to replace and upgrade water pipes that are contaminated with lead, including three in five (62%) who “strongly” support this provision.

Voters want to limit gas exports and are amenable to several arguments against new exports, including arguments about costs, climate damage, pollution, and fossil fuel dependence. By a two-to-one margin (60% support / 30% oppose), voters support the Biden administration “taking measures to limit the amount of natural gas America exports to other countries.” Young voters, who vocally opposed the Biden administration’s actions in allowing the Willow project to move forward, support the Biden administration taking measures to limit gas exports by a greater than three-to-one margin (62% support / 19% oppose among young voters aged 18-29). By a greater than two-to-one margin (62% support / 28% oppose), voters support “pausing all natural gas export projects until the proper reviews are completed.” Roughly three-quarters of Democratic voters (76% support / 16% oppose) and just over half of Republican voters (52% support / 37% oppose) support a pause on new gas export projects, as do more than three in five young voters aged 18-29 (64% support / 21% oppose).