Harris Has Significant Edge Over Trump on Climate and Energy Issues
By Grace Adcox
With Vice President Kamala Harris now the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, and fewer than 100 days until the election, this moment offers a unique opportunity to remind voters of the sharp contrast on climate and clean energy between Harris and former President Donald Trump. Previous Climate Power and Data for Progress polling has found that climate issues are particularly salient with young voters, who could prove determinative this November.
To determine voters’ views as they relate to Harris’ approach to climate and energy issues, Climate Power and Data for Progress conducted two surveys of national likely voters, fielded July 24-26 and July 26-30. Notably, a strong majority of voters prefer Harris’ approach to climate policy overall, want to hold oil and gas companies accountable, and see a strong mandate for Harris to continue building on the progress the Biden-Harris administration has made on clean energy and climate action.
Voters Want a President Who Champions Clean Energy Manufacturing and Climate Action
Nearly 7 of 10 voters say the next president of the United States should continue investing in clean energy manufacturing (68%), including half of Republicans, two-thirds of Independents, and 71% of young voters between 18 and 34.
In a question asked on the subsequent survey, which explicitly names Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee, 62% of voters say that she should continue investing in clean energy manufacturing to deliver cleaner, cheaper energy options and strengthen the climate actions taken under the Biden-Harris administration, while only 25% disagree – a +37-point margin.
Voters Strongly Support Harris’ Record and Actions on Climate
Voters express strong support for key climate actions taken by Harris throughout her career as a prosecutor, district attorney, attorney general, U.S. senator, and finally as the vice president.
A majority of likely voters support each of the eight Harris actions tested, with strong majorities favoring the following actions:
Strengthening the Clean Air and Water Acts, legislating to replace 100% of lead pipes, and announcing the first-ever limits on cancer-causing “forever chemicals” in drinking water (72% support overall)
Taking an oil company to court for potential criminal violations after an oil pipeline spill poisoned coastal waters (69% support overall)
Passing a clean energy plan that has created over 300,000 new, good-paying jobs across the U.S. (68% support overall)
Supporting legislation that would limit air pollution from vehicles and power plants (66% support overall)
Implementing a national plan to support marginalized communities that have been polluted by the oil and gas industry (65% support overall)
Passing the most ambitious climate and clean energy plan to triple the production of clean energy, reduce carbon pollution, and save Americans on electricity costs (64% support)
Harris Holds a Significant Edge Over Trump on Her Approach to Climate, Energy, and Protecting Clean Air and Water
When asked to compare Harris’ and Trump’s energy and climate policies, voters say they prefer Harris’ approach by a +12-point margin. Harris' approach would focus on expanding clean energy to lower costs for families and boost American manufacturing while protecting communities’ access to clean air and water from corporate polluters. Harris’ advantage is even larger among Independents (+17 points) and young voters between 18 and 34 (+22 points).
Voters Favor Holding Oil and Gas Companies Accountable for Both Pollution and Profiteering
After reading a short description of each candidate’s approach, voters say they favor Harris’ record of holding oil and gas companies accountable for profiteering and gouging Americans at the pump by a +22-point margin over Trump’s record of offering large tax breaks and other financial incentives to the fossil fuel industry. Notably, Independents prefer Harris’ approach by a 2-1 ratio (57% to 29%).
In a similar question contrasting the candidates’ positions on the oil and gas industry and pollution, 56% of voters agree more with Harris’ approach, drawing upon her record as a district attorney going after polluters to ensure all Americans have access to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. In comparison, just 38% agree more with Trump’s stated intention to aggressively expand drilling while not treating climate change as an existential threat. Harris’ advantage is particularly pronounced among young voters, winning support from nearly 7 in 10 voters between 18-34.
Respondents also read specifically about Harris’ approach to holding oil and companies accountable, in contrast with Trump’s approach to offering the industry tax breaks and the rollback of pollution rules that impact its business. Whether respondents read about Harris’ efforts to hold these companies accountable for polluting our air and water, or for profiteering and price gouging Americans at the gas pump, a majority agree more with Harris’ view than Trump’s on the matter (58% agree more with Harris across both halves of the split sample).
Voters show a clear preference for continuing to build on the clean energy and climate progress made by the Biden-Harris administration over Trump’s promises to reverse it. Even when the climate platforms of Harris and Trump are assigned to the candidates by name, a majority of voters overall show clear support for expanding clean energy, strengthening protections against pollution, and holding big oil and gas companies accountable.
Grace Adcox (@GraceAdcox) is the Senior Climate Strategist at Data for Progress.