Voters Want America to Lead on Climate at Home and Abroad
By Danielle Deiseroth, Senior Climate Data Analyst, Data for Progress
Key Findings
Over three-quarters of voters (76 percent) agree America should work with other countries to combat climate change and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions
A majority of voters (70 percent) agree America should take ambitious actions to address climate change so other countries will follow our lead
Over two-thirds of voters (68 percent) support the American Jobs Plan, even when given only minimal information about the plan
Bipartisan support for the American Jobs Plan grows to 71 percent when voters are given more information about the climate and clean energy components of the plan
A majority of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans all think it is important that the American Jobs Plan includes proposals to combat climate change and create an equitable clean energy future
Over two-thirds of voters (67 percent) agree the American Jobs Plan should have standards to ensure disadvantaged communities benefit from the investments
Introduction
This Earth Day, all eyes are on the Biden Administration as they continue fulfilling their campaign promises to address the climate crisis at home and abroad. With the recent introduction of the American Jobs Plan and the inaugural Leaders Summit on Climate, President Biden and Vice President Harris are placing a renewed emphasis on advancing America’s domestic and international climate goals.
As part of an April 2021 national survey, Climate Power and Data for Progress assessed the attitudes of likely voters towards America’s global climate leadership, the recently announced American Jobs Plan, and the importance of including proposals in the American Jobs Plan to tackle climate change and transition to a clean energy economy.
Voters Want America to Lead the World on Combating Climate Change
As President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary of State Blinken, Climate Envoy Kerry, and other senior administration officials gather with world leaders, representatives of the business community, labor leaders, and others to discuss how the global community can tackle the climate crisis, over three-quarters of voters (76 percent) agree America should work with other countries to combat climate change and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Consensus is strongly bipartisan: Nearly all Democrats (90 percent), over three-quarters of Independents (76 percent), and a majority of Republicans (61 percent) all agree America should work with other nations to come up with solutions to this global problem.
Voters also agree that America should lead the world on climate regardless of the actions other countries take. A majority of voters (70 percent) — including a majority of Democrats (88 percent), Independents (67 percent), and Republicans (52 percent) — agree America should lead the world by taking ambitious climate actions and encouraging other nations to follow our lead.
Voters Support the American Jobs Plan — Especially the Climate and Clean Energy Components
President Biden recently unveiled the American Jobs Plan, a historic $2.3 trillion plan that includes investments to create millions of new good-paying jobs modernizing our nation’s infrastructure and energy grid. When given a brief description of the proposal, over two-thirds of voters (68 percent) support the American Jobs Plan. While an overwhelming majority of Democrats (88 percent) and Independents (70 percent) support the American Jobs Plan, Republicans are nearly split.
However, when voters are given more information about the proposals included the American Jobs Plan — specifically, the investments that will create jobs while addressing climate change, promoting clean energy usage, and reducing pollution — bipartisan support for the plan actually increases. With more details about the clean energy and climate proposals, the margin of support for the American Jobs Plan among all likely voters increases from +41 percentage points to +47 percentage points (71 percent support, 24 percent oppose). Among Democrats, the margin of support grows from +78 percentage points to an overwhelming +85 percentage points (91 percent support, 6 percent oppose). Similarly, among Independents, the margin of support grows from +46 percentage points to +48 percentage points (72 percent support, 24 percent oppose).
Most notably, Republican support flips from net opposition to net support when voters are given more information about the clean energy and climate proposals in the American Jobs Plan. While initially only 44 percent of Republicans support the American Jobs Plan, with additional information about the clean energy and climate investments, that share grows to 48 percent — a plurality of support.
As lawmakers debate the size and the scope of the American Jobs Plan based on President Biden’s proposal, it is clear that voters want the legislation to include the climate and clean energy proposals that will create jobs, empower workers, and address environmental injustices. Over three-quarters of voters (76 percent) think it is “Very” or “Somewhat” important that the American Jobs Plan makes investments that will help America combat climate change and create a thriving clean energy economy. Voters across party lines agree: Nearly all Democrats (97 percent), over two-thirds of Independents (70 percent), and a majority of Republicans (57 percent) think it is important that the American Jobs Plan includes climate and clean energy proposals.
There is also overwhelming bipartisan support for including standards in the American Jobs Plan to ensure communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change and pollution receive benefits from the investments. Over two-thirds of voters (67 percent) — including a majority of Democrats (86 percent), a majority of Independents (64 percent), and a plurality of Republicans (48 percent) — agree the American Jobs Plan should include these critical standards to advance equity and address systemic environmental injustices.
Conclusion
With such widespread bipartisan support, it is clear that voters support the government making investments to create jobs that will combat the climate crisis, jumpstart America’s clean energy economy, and uplift disadvantaged communities on the front lines of climate change and pollution. Moreover, voters want America to take ambitious actions to address climate change so the rest of the world will follow our lead. As President Biden, Vice President Harris, and lawmakers in Congress advance America’s legislative agenda on climate at home and abroad, they should feel confident that voters overwhelmingly support making bold investments that will create an equitable clean energy future for all Americans.
Danielle Deiseroth (@danielledeis) is the Senior Climate Data Analyst at Data for Progress.
Survey Methodology
From April 16 to April 19, 2021, Data for Progress conducted a survey of 1,138 likely voters nationally using web panel respondents. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, and voting history. The survey was conducted in English. The margin of error is ±3 percentage points.