Global Views on Climate Change and Policy in 15+ Charts

As the impacts of climate change mount worldwide, how to address the issue has grown increasingly important to governments, corporations and consumers alike. This Chart Pack comprises over 15 key Morning Consult charts revealing U.S. and global adults’ views on climate change.

These charts answer central questions about combating climate change, including who the public thinks is most responsible for it, which environmental policies and projects voters want prioritized, and which eco-friendly goods and services consumers care about most. Our spotlight on housing delves into the public’s support for sustainable building practices and interest in green home upgrades. We also examine consumer views of the environmental impact of the auto & mobility industry, as well as demand for climate-conscious transportation options, from electric vehicles to lower-emission flights.

Chart Pack highlights:

• The vast majority of global consumers are in favor of corporate environmental stewardship. In a survey asking whether companies should be responsible for managing their impact on the environment, majorities of respondents in all G20 countries surveyed answered in the affirmative, with the greatest share in South Africa (88%) and the lowest in the United States (72%). 
• Climate change is a top foreign policy concern among U.S. voters, but Democrats and Republicans hold starkly different views on the issue. Over half of Democrats (53%) rank climate change among the top five most important U.S. foreign policy issues, compared with just 18% of Republicans.
• In the United States, the public is split on who bears the most responsibility for driving sustainability practices. Half of U.S. adults think the government bears “a lot of responsibility” for combating climate change, but just as many (51%) said the same of energy companies.
• U.S. consumers see the auto & mobility industry as the greatest climate change offender. When asked about how different industries have impacted climate change, just 7% of U.S. adults said the auto & mobility industry had done the most good, compared with 46% who said it had done the most harm.
• More than half of U.S. adults are concerned about how climate change is affecting or could affect their housing. Another quarter have considered moving due to the impacts of natural disasters in their area, including over 2 in 5 Gen Z adults (43%).