About 6-in-10 conservative Republicans believe climate change policies would hurt the US economy, while 57% of Democrats believe that they actually help the US economy.
In 2024, there was a significant increase in the number of US citizens who stated that they believed in climate change. The percentage grew from 72% in 2017 to 78%, according to the Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) at the University of Chicago (Link: https://epic.uchicago.edu/insights/2024-poll-americans-views-on-climate-change-and-policy-in-12-charts/). Additional statistics state that those who believe that climate change was caused by human activity had remained relatively the same between 2017 and 2024, at 55%. According to these statistics, there was an increase in Democrats who believed in climate change, from 85% to 93%, and in Republicans, from 52% to 62%, between 2017 and 2024, respectively.
In addition, the Pew Research Center stated that there has been an increasing number of US citizens who believe that the government should focus on addressing climate change through policy (Link: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/02/28/more-americans-see-climate-change-as-a-priority-but-democrats-are-much-more-concerned-than-republicans/). In 2016, only 56% of Democrats and left-leaning independents believed that climate change should be addressed by the federal government; in contrast, that number rose to 78% in 2020. On the other hand, the number in 2016 for Republicans and right-leaning independents was 16%, and in 2020 had only increased to 21%. Democrats are more than three times as likely as Republicans to say dealing with climate change should be a top priority (78% vs. 21%). Two thirds of Americans believe that the government is doing too little to address climate change, including 90% of Democrats and 39% of Republicans. Millennial and Gen Z Republicans believe more strongly than their older counterparts that the US government should address climate change as well. About 6-in-10 conservative Republicans believe climate change policies would hurt the US economy, while 57% of Democrats believe that they actually help the US economy.
Regarding renewable energy expansion efforts, 6 out of 10 Americans stated in an EPIC survey that they would support wind turbines and solar energy projects in their communities. However, only a third of Republicans state that expanding renewable energy should be a priority for the President and Congress. In regard to electric vehicles, Democrats are more than twice as likely to buy one compared to Republicans, despite people from both parties owning them at about the same percentage. Only 9% of those polled were owners of an electric vehicle, and Americans in the Western United States are more likely to buy an EV compared to those living in the Midwest, South, and Northeast.
Unfortunately, Big Oil companies are paying their way into the Republican party’s pockets, and they are using millions, if not billions, of their money to convince the anti-environmental Republicans that they are on the right path (Link: https://truthout.org/articles/why-do-republicans-reject-man-made-climate-change/). Big Oil has particularly has made it difficult for pro-environment Republicans to hold office, and this is done through political funding and Super PACs. In addition, a lack of education and knowledge in the subject matter of climate science has led to the domination of anti-environmental rhetoric amongst Republicans.
One can only hope that the environment becomes a bipartisan issue and is taken into consideration by current and future Congresspeople. It is unfortunately, maybe too late to make a difference in the name of climate change for the planet, but to continue to work towards climate resiliency and supporting those of us who are most vulnerable and/or exposed to the effects of climate change through extreme weather events, is something we should all be able to agree upon. I hope that this continues to be on the forefront of people’s minds when the next election cycle rolls around.
This Post was submitted by, Climate Scorecard US Country Manager, Abby Carlson.