It’s Time to Listen to Young Voters on Climate Action

The climate crisis is already here: In 2021, historic wildfires ravaged millions of acres of land in the West, while thousands of working families experienced flooding from catastrophic hurricanes. Meanwhile, climate action continues to stall in Congress. Young voters — who are increasingly concerned about the impacts of climate change — are deeply cognizant of the federal government’s inaction. Though the clock is winding down, there is still time to address climate change, and young voters are eager to see their leaders take action to ensure our world is sustainable for future generations.

In a December 2021 national survey, Data for Progress and the Sunrise Movement assessed the attitudes of likely voters ages 18-35 toward climate change. We find that young voters express mixed feelings about our lawmakers’ ability to meaningfully address climate change. Moreover, a significant portion thinks the outsized influence of corporations and wealthy donors is to blame for Congress’s inaction. However, despite these lackluster feelings, overwhelming majorities of young voters support ambitious federal climate actions such as an executive order to declare a National Climate Emergency and the Green New Deal.