Voters Support Holding Oil and Gas Companies Accountable and Want to See Stricter Pollution Limits
By Kevin Hanley
As the United States reckons with the impacts of climate change, lawmakers are debating how to pay for the growing costs of climate damages in communities across the nation. New polling from Data for Progress and Fossil Free Media finds that voters believe that oil and gas companies that misled the public about pollution should be held accountable.
Half of voters, by a +11-point net margin, think that President Biden should prioritize placing stricter limits on climate pollution produced by fossil fuel companies in 2024. This sentiment is widely held among Democrats (80 percent), while a plurality of Independents agree. Latino (63 percent) and Black voters (61 percent) are more likely to support such a proposal, as are young voters (ages 18-29: 63 percent).
A strong majority of voters (84%) report being very or somewhat concerned about oil and gas companies making large profits while consumers face rising energy bills. There is intense concern about this: 62% of Democrats, 57% of Black voters, 53% of voters 45 and older, and 51% of Independents are very concerned.
Voters lack trust in oil and gas companies on key issues tested. Only 14% report trusting oil and gas companies “a great deal” to speak truthfully about the impact of fossil fuels on the climate, while 62% have not much or no trust at all in oil and gas companies speaking truthfully about fossil fuels. Even fewer voters trust oil and gas companies to prioritize putting the climate over profits, or to prioritize U.S. consumers over overseas profit.
Next, the survey investigated the electoral impacts of oil and gas donations. A majority of voters (53%) report being less likely to vote for a candidate who accepted campaign donations from oil and gas companies or CEOs. What’s more, hardly any voters (12%) report that this would make them more likely to vote for such a candidate, signaling that there is little electoral upside in accepting such campaign donations for potential candidates.
Lastly, voters were asked if they agree or disagree with a statement about oil and gas companies being held accountable for misleading the public about the impact of burning fossil fuels. We find that a strong majority (78%) agree that oil and gas companies that misled the public about the impact of burning fossil fuels should be held accountable, including two-thirds of Republicans (66%). Democrats (91%) and Black voters (85%) are more likely to agree, with Black voters revealing strong intensity on the question (63% strongly agree).
At a time of high energy bills, voters across demographics are concerned about oil and gas companies' large profits, want stricter pollution limits for these companies, and support holding them accountable for misleading the public about the impact of burning fossil fuels.
Kevin Hanley (@kebhanley) is a senior analyst at Data for Progress.
Survey Methodology
From February 2 to 5, 2024, Data for Progress, in collaboration with Fossil Free Media, conducted a survey of 1,451 U.S. likely voters nationally using web panel respondents, including an oversample of 18-29 year old likely voters. The overall sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, geography, and voting history. The sample was also weighted to account for an oversample of 18-29 year-olds to ensure proportional representation of likely voters. The survey was conducted in English. The margin of error is ±3 percentage points.