Image shows a nursery manager plants a whitebark pine at Glacier National Park in Montana in September 2022, part of an effort to restore vegetation threatened by climate change. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
A nursery manager plants a whitebark pino at Glacier National Park in Montana in September 2022, part of an endeavor to restore vegetation following a wildfire. (Fleck Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Pew Research Heart conducted this written report to sympathise how Americans view climate, free energy and environmental issues. We surveyed 10,957 U.S. adults from April 29 to May 5, 2022.

Everyone who took role is a member of Pew Research Center's American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way virtually all U.South. adults have a chance of pick. The survey is weighted to exist representative of the U.South. developed population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, teaching and other categories. Read more about the ATP's methodology.

Run into hither to read more about the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology.

Chart shows Americans see too little federal action on climate change, back range of policies to reduce its effectsA majority of Americans go along to say they see the effects of climate alter in their ain communities and believe that the federal government falls brusque in its efforts to reduce the impacts of climatic change.

At a fourth dimension when partisanship colors most views of policy, wide majorities of the public – including more than half of Republicans and overwhelming shares of Democrats – say they would favor a range of initiatives to reduce the impacts of climatic change, including big-scale tree planting efforts, revenue enhancement credits for businesses that capture carbon emissions and tougher fuel efficiency standards for vehicles, according to a new Pew Enquiry Center survey.

Public business organization over climate change has been growing in recent years, particularly among Democrats, and there are no signs that the COVID-19 pandemic has dampened concern levels. A recent Center assay finds 60% view climate change as a major threat to the well-being of the Us, as loftier a share taking this view every bit in whatever Pew Research Centre survey going back to 2009.

The new national survey by Pew Enquiry Center, conducted April 29 to May 5 amidst 10,957 U.S. adults using the Centre'south online American Trends Panel, finds a majority of U.S. adults want the government to play a larger role in addressing climate change. About 2-thirds (65%) of Americans say the federal authorities is doing besides little to reduce the effects of climate change – a view that's about as widely held today every bit it was last autumn.

And public dissatisfaction with government ecology action is not express solely to climate: Majorities too continue to say the government is doing as well little in other areas, such as protecting air and water quality and wildlife.

Consistent with public concerns over climate and the surround, 79% of Americans say the priority for the state's free energy supply should be developing alternative sources of free energy, such equally wind and solar; far fewer (twenty%) give priority to expanding the product of oil, coal and natural gas. To shift consumption patterns toward renewables, a majority of the public (58%) says regime regulations will be necessary to encourage businesses and individuals to rely more on renewable energy; fewer (39%) think the individual marketplace will ensure this change in habits.

Partisans remain far autonomously on several overarching questions about climate alter. Much larger shares of Democrats and those who lean toward the Democratic Party than Republicans and Republican leaners say human activity is contributing a cracking deal to climate modify (72% vs. 22%), that it is impacting their own local community (83% to 37%) and that the government is doing too picayune to reduce the effects of climatic change (89% to 35%).

Despite these differences, in that location is bipartisan support for several policy options to reduce the furnishings of climate change. This is especially true when it comes to proposals put forth before this twelvemonth by Republican members of Congress, such every bit large scale tree-plantings to assistance absorb carbon emissions and offer tax credits to businesses that capture carbon emissions.

Chart shows bipartisan support for several policies aimed at reducing the effects of global climate change In guild to reduce the effects of global climatic change, 90% of Americans favor planting near a trillion trees around the earth to absorb carbon emissions in the atmosphere, including comparably large shares of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (92%) and Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (88%). President Donald Trump expressed back up for tree planting efforts in Feb during his State of the Union accost.

Similarly, 84% of U.Southward. adults support providing a business concern taxation credit for carbon capture technology that can store carbon emissions before they enter the atmosphere. Large majorities of Democrats (90%) and Republicans (78%) back this proposal, which House Republicans rolled out earlier this year.

Nearly Americans also back up tougher restrictions on power plant emissions (80%), taxing corporations based on the amount of carbon emissions they produce (73%) and tougher fuel-efficiency standards for automobiles and trucks (71%). Partisan divides are wider on these iii policies, with Democrats much more supportive than Republicans. Even so, about half or more of Republicans say they would favor each of these policies, including 64% who back tougher emission standards for power plants.

While partisanship remains the predominant dividing line in many views of climate and the surround, at that place are meaningful differences inside political party coalitions.

In particular, Republicans and Republican leaners who describe their political views as moderate or liberal (roughly a tertiary of all Republicans and leaners) are much more than likely than conservative Republicans to run across local impacts of climatic change, back up policies to accost it and say the federal government is doing too little in areas of environmental protection. Farther, younger generations and women in the GOP tend to be more critical of government action on the environment than their older and male counterparts. Republican women too are more than supportive of polices aimed at reducing the impacts of climate change than GOP men.

Differences amongst Democrats and Democratic leaners are more modest. Strong majorities of both moderate or conservative and liberal Democrats believe the federal government is doing too little to reduce climatic change and support a range of policies to address its effects on the surroundings. There are not meaningful differences in these views amidst Democrats by either gender or generation.

Americans see local impacts from climatic change, simply that view is colored more than past politics than place

Chart shows partisan divide in views of climate change's impact on own communityA majority of Americans (63%) say that climate alter is affecting their local community a great bargain or some. Fewer (37%) say climate change is impacting their own customs non too much or non at all. The share who see at least some local bear upon from climate change is about the same as it was last fall (62%).

Views of the local bear on of climate change are largely similar among Americans who live in different regions of the county. In fact, an identical 64% of those who live in the Northeast, Due south and West say climate change is affecting their community a peachy bargain or some. Those who live in the Midwest are slightly less likely to say this (58%).

Partisanship is a far larger factor in views of the local bear upon of climatic change. A large majority of Democrats (83%) say climatic change is affecting their local community a great bargain or some. By contrast, far fewer Republicans (37%) believe climate change is affecting their local community at to the lowest degree some; most Republicans (62%) say climate change is impacting their local customs not too much or at all.

Among Republicans and Republican leaners, moderates and liberals (55%) are much more likely than conservatives (27%) to say climate change is impacting their customs a great deal or some. Amidst Democrats and Autonomous leaners, large shares of both liberals (86%) and conservative and moderates (81%) come across local impacts from climate modify.

Chart shows those living near the coast are most likely to say climate change is affecting their local communityA more granular assay of geography shows that Americans who live near a coastline are more likely than those who live farther away to say climate change is affecting their local community. This design holds within both parties but is particularly evident amongst Republicans.

Seven-in-10 of those who live less than 25 miles from the coastline say climate change is affecting their local community a great deal or some. Past comparing, 57% of those who live 300 miles or more than from the coastline say climate change is affecting their local community at to the lowest degree some.

Overall, 45% of Republicans who live less than 25 miles from the coastline say climate change is affecting their local community at to the lowest degree some, compared with a significantly smaller share (31%) of Republicans who live 300 or more miles from the coastline.

Roughly eight-in-ten Democrats, no matter where they live, say climate change is affecting their local community at least some. However, Democrats who alive close to the coastline are more probable than Democrats who live farthest abroad from the ocean to say climate change is affecting their local community a not bad deal (39% vs. 29%).

When those who come across a local bear upon from climate change are asked about the nature of the bear on, those who live near a coastline are far more likely (73%) than those who live farther away (45%) to cite rising sea levels that erode beaches and shorelines as a major touch in their community.

Strong majorities of Americans back policies aimed at reducing the effects of climate change

Chart shows strong public support for a range of policies to limit carbon output, reduce the effects of climate changeMajorities of U.S. adults favor each of the five proposals to reduce the effects of climatic change included in the survey. The about popular, favored past xc% of Americans, is to found about a trillion trees to absorb carbon emissions. President Trump announced in this year'due south State of the Union that the U.S. would bring together the World Economic Forum's One Trillion Trees Initiative.

Widespread public support extends to proposals to provide a tax credit to businesses for development of carbon capture and storage chapters (84%) and tougher restrictions on ability establish carbon emissions (eighty%).

Well-nigh seven-in-x too favor taxing corporations based on their carbon emissions (73%) and adopting tougher fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks (71%).

The Trump assistants has taken steps over the past year to roll back regulations on carbon emissions in areas such as fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles and power plants emissions.

Support for these policies aligns with how constructive the public thinks they would exist. A 2022 survey found majorities of Americans believed restrictions on power establish emissions, tax incentives to encourage businesses to reduce carbon emissions and tougher fuel-efficiency standards for cars would all make a deviation at reducing climate change.

Chart shows majorities of moderate Republicans back policies to address global climate changeDemocrats are particularly supportive of policy proposals to reduce the furnishings of global climate change. Roughly xc% of Democrats favor each of these v policy proposals, and differences amidst Democrats by ideology tend to be pocket-size. For instance, 93% of Democrats, including 96% of liberals and 91% of moderates and conservatives, say they back up tougher restrictions on power constitute carbon emissions. Differences amongst Democrats across demographic characteristics such equally age and gender besides are minor.

Among Republicans, in that location are large gaps in support for some of these policies by ideology, as well equally differences in views between GOP men and women.

Moderate and liberal Republicans are broadly supportive of these proposals aimed at reducing the effects of climate modify. Two-thirds or more favor each of the five proposals, including 80% who say they support tougher power institute carbon emissions standards.

Chart shows Republican women more supportive than GOP men of restricting carbon emissions from power plantsAmid conservative Republicans, 87% support planting more trees to reduce the furnishings of climatic change and 75% favor a taxation credit for businesses to develop carbon capture and storage technology. Even so, their support is significantly lower for other polices: 55% back tougher restrictions on power plant emissions, while fewer than half favor taxing corporations based on their carbon emissions (46%) or tougher fuel efficiency standards for cars (44%).

Nigh Republican men and women back up tree-planting efforts and offering a tax credit to businesses for carbon capture engineering. But GOP women are significantly more than likely than men to favor tougher emissions restrictions on power plants, taxing corporations based on their emissions and tougher fuel-efficiency standards for cars.

Political groups go on to differ over part human activity plays in climatic change

Chart shows wide partisan divide over impact of human activity on climate changeMost U.S. adults think human being activity, such as the burning of fossil fuels, contributes a nifty deal (49%) or some (32%) to climate change. Almost two-in-ten (19%) say human being activity contributes not too much or not at all to climate change. Views on this question are about the same equally they were terminal fall.

Americans continue to be deeply politically divided over how much human being activity contributes to climatic change. About seven-in-x Democrats (72%) say homo activity contributes a great deal to climatic change, compared with roughly ii-in-ten Republicans (22%), a deviation of fifty percentage points.

The difference is fifty-fifty wider amid those at the ends of the ideological spectrum. A big majority of liberal Democrats (85%) say human activity contributes a swell deal to climate change. Only 14% of conservative Republicans say the aforementioned – 45% of this group says man activity contributes non too much or not at all to climate alter.

Chart shows education tied to views of human impact on climate change among Democrats, but not RepublicansViews about the role of human activity in climate change also vary by education among Democrats, simply non amongst Republicans. Democrats who have graduated from college are more than likely to say man activeness contributes a great deal to climate change than Democrats without a college degree. For example, 86% of Democrats with a postgraduate caste say man activity contributes a not bad deal to climate change, compared with a smaller majority (58%) of Democrats with no higher feel. Among Republicans, comparably small shares across level of education see human activity every bit contributing a corking deal to climate alter.

Previous Pew Inquiry Heart analyses have found a similar dynamic in views of climate change by level of scientific discipline knowledge, based on an 11-detail index. Among Democrats, those with higher levels of scientific discipline knowledge are more likely to say man activity influences climate change a great deal than those with lower levels of scientific discipline cognition. Past dissimilarity, there is no such human relationship amongst Republicans.

In that location also are significant differences in these views among Democrats by race and ethnicity. Overall, 80% of white Democrats and seventy% of Hispanic Democrats say human activeness contributes a bully deal to climate change. By contrast, black Democrats are much less probable to take this view: 49% believe human activeness contributes a great deal to climate change.

Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans prioritize culling free energy over fossil fuel sources

Reducing reliance on carbon-based fuels is viewed by climate advocates every bit a critical step to preventing the worst impacts of climate change. The survey finds a broad bulk of Americans (79%) say the more important priority for the land is to develop alternative sources, such equally air current and solar; far fewer (xx%) say the more than important energy priority is to expand the production of oil, coal and natural gas. Views on this question are nigh the same as they were in October 2022, the first time the measure was asked on Pew Enquiry Middle'south online American Trends Console.

Chart shows most say that developing alternative sources should be U.S. energy priority

Chart shows most Americans prioritize developing alternative energy sources over expanding fossil fuelsAn overwhelming majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (91%) say that developing alternative sources should exist the nation'southward energy priority. A smaller majority of Republicans and Republican leaners (65%) likewise takes this view.

Amid moderate and liberal Republicans, a large share (81%) say developing alternative sources should be the nation'southward free energy priority. The views of moderate and liberal Republicans are relatively close to those of Democrats: 88% of moderate and bourgeois Democrats and a near-unanimous 97% of liberal Democrats say the more than important energy priority is developing culling sources. Past contrast, conservative Republicans are much more divided in their views: A narrow bulk (54%) gives greater priority to developing alternative energy sources, while 45% say the priority should be expanding the production of oil, coal and natural gas.

Chart shows a majority says government regulations are needed to encourage reliance on renewable energy sourcesOn residuum, a majority of U.Southward. adults run into a part for government in shifting usage patterns toward renewables.

About half dozen-in-10 Americans (58%) say that government regulations are necessary to encourage businesses and consumers to rely more on renewable energy sources. Fewer (39%) think the private market will encourage the use of renewable energy, without the demand for government intervention.

Partisans agree opposing views on this question: 77% of Democrats, including those who lean to the Democratic Party, believe that government regulations are necessary to shift the country toward reliance on renewable energy, while 61% of Republicans and Republican leaners say the private marketplace will be enough.

Views on this question, and opinion dynamics among partisans, are comparable to what they were when the question was concluding asked in 2022.

Chart shows broad public support for developing more solar and wind powerAmericans' overall preference to prioritize alternative free energy is reflected in views of specific energy source evolution.

Large shares say they would favor developing more solar panel farms (90%) and more wind turbine farms (83%).

There is far less support for expanding fossil fuel energy sources. Majorities oppose expanding coal mining (65%), hydraulic fracturing (lx%) and offshore oil and gas drilling (58%).

A narrow majority of the public (55%) opposes more than nuclear ability plants in the country, while 43% are in favor. Larger shares of women than men oppose expanding nuclear power, a pattern that'south seen amidst both Republicans and Democrats and is consistent with views about nuclear power in past Heart surveys.

Public views on which energy sources the country should aggrandize accept been stable in recent years, and opinions are very like to those measured in 2022 and 2022 surveys.

Chart shows majorities across political groups support expanding use of solar panel and wind turbine farmsThere is bipartisan back up for expanding solar and wind power, though somewhat smaller majorities of bourgeois Republicans back these two policies.

By contrast, Republicans – especially conservative Republicans – are more than supportive than Democrats of expanding fossil fuel free energy sources and nuclear ability.

Majorities of bourgeois Republicans favor expanding offshore drilling (72%), hydraulic fracturing (65%) and coal mining (63%). By dissimilarity, about one-half or fewer of moderate and liberal Republicans favor expanding these forms of energy development. Democrats broadly oppose these methods, and opposition is particularly widespread among liberal Democrats.

Differences in views of energy development by partisanship are about the aforementioned as they have been in contempo years. Meet Appendix for details.

Consistent with past Pew Research Center surveys, younger Republicans give more than priority to alternative energy evolution – and are less supportive of expanding fossil fuel sources – than older Republicans.

Chart shows younger Republicans more likely to prioritize renewable energy sources than older RepublicansOverall, 79% of Millennial and Gen Z Republicans prioritize the development of alternative energy sources, compared with 66% of Gen X Republicans and 55% of Republicans who are Babe Boomers or older. While Republicans by and large are skeptical about the need for government to encourage public reliance on renewable sources, nearly half 0f Millennial and Gen Z Republicans (48%) retrieve authorities regulations are necessary; smaller shares of older Republicans say this.

Millennial and younger Republicans are less supportive of expanding the use of offshore oil and gas drilling, coal mining or hydraulic fracturing than Baby Boomer and older Republicans. There'south a like, only smaller, generational dynamic among Republicans in views of expanding nuclear power.

Among Republicans, in that location is wide support beyond generations for expanding solar and wind farms, though support is somewhat higher amidst Millennial and Gen Z than older Republicans. (At this point, Gen Z adults concord views on a range of issues – including the role of government, diversity and climate and free energy – that are similar to those of Millennials.)

Majorities of U.S. adults say federal government is non doing enough on the environment

Majorities say federal government is doing too little to protect aspects of the environmentMajorities of Americans continue to say the federal authorities is doing besides little to protect key aspects of the environment. About two-thirds of Americans say the federal authorities is doing too little to protect water quality of rivers, lakes and streams (67%), protect air quality (65%) and reduce the furnishings of climate change (65%). About six-in-ten think the federal regime is doing besides little to protect animals and their habitats (62%), and a slightly smaller bulk say the federal government is doing too little to protect open lands in national parks (54%).

These findings come amongst a irresolute federal regulatory mural. The Trump administration is reversing or seeking to alter more than than 100 rules and regulations related to carbon dioxide emissions, clean air, water or toxic chemicals.

Public views on how much the federal authorities is doing to protect key aspects of the environment are virtually unchanged in the concluding ii years. In Pew Research Center surveys in both 2022 and 2022, about two-thirds of Americans said the federal government was doing too trivial to protect air or water quality or reduce the effects of climate change.

Over the past several years, Americans have become significantly more than likely to say protecting the environment and addressing climate alter should be peak priorities for the president and Congress, according to a 2022 Pew Enquiry Eye survey.

Democrats remain far more likely than Republicans to say the regime is doing besides little to address aspects of the surround. For instance, almost nine-in-10 liberal Democrats say the federal government is doing as well little to protect air quality (93%) or h2o quality (91%). Past comparison, amidst conservative Republicans, just 36% say the federal government is doing too piffling to protect h2o quality and only 28% say this about air quality. Majorities of conservative Republicans say the federal government is doing the right corporeality in these areas.

Moderate and liberal Republicans are more critical of government action on the environs than conservative Republicans. Narrow majorities say the regime is doing besides picayune to protect water and air quality, wild animals and their habit and to reduce the furnishings of climate change. Ideological gaps among Democrats are more small than among Republicans. Run into Appendix for details.

Chart shows consistent partisan divides over government environmental action

Amidst Republicans, women and younger adults are more likely to say the government is doing as well little to address aspects of the environment than men and older adults in the GOP.

About half of Republican women (51%) say the authorities is doing too little to protect h2o quality, compared with 39% of Republican men. At that place's a similar gap in views that government is doing besides fiddling to protect air quality (47% to 32%), and Republican women too are significantly more likely than men to say the regime is doing likewise fiddling in the iii other environmental areas included in the survey.

Millennial and younger Republicans are at least 10 points more probable than Baby Boomer and older Republicans to say the federal government is doing also little in each of the five areas measured in the survey. For instance, 53% of Millennial and younger Republicans say the federal government is doing too little to protect air quality, compared with just 30% of Baby Boomer and older Republicans.

Amongst Democrats, in that location are inappreciably whatsoever gaps in views on these questions by generation or gender. (See appendix for more than details).

CORRECTION (June 25, 2022): Due to a rounding error, a previous version of the chart "Those living almost the coast are virtually likely to say climate change is affecting their local community" misstated the combined total for views amid Democrats and Autonomous leaners living at to the lowest degree 300 miles from the declension. It should be 83%. The change does not materially bear on findings in this written report.