Trump’s Victory Sparks Growing Climate Concern — Even Among His Supporters 

On the day following the 2024 U.S. election, ecoAmerica fielded a survey to gauge how the results have impacted climate concerns across the country. The survey found a rise in climate concern (72%, up from 67% in June), most notably driven by increases in concern amongst Republicans and Independents. Even among people who voted for President-Elect Trump, a striking 55% express concern about climate change, and 24% say their concern has increased since the election results were reported. 

Republicans, Independents, and Trump Voters Drive Increases in Concern 

The results are clear: Donald Trump’s election has elevated Americans’ climate concern. A majority (72%) are now concerned about climate change, with 40% very concerned and 32% somewhat concerned. Democrats’ concern remains high yet unchanged (holding at 88%). However, climate concern has notably increased for Republicans (56%, up from 52% in June) and Independents (69%, up from 60% in June). 

And, despite the President-Elect’s stance on climate, Trump voters also express climate concern. Findings reveal that over half of Trump voters (55%) are concerned about climate change, including more than 1 in 5 who are very concerned and nearly a third who are somewhat concerned. When asked whether the U.S. election results have shifted their concern about climate change, 24% of Trump voters report that the U.S. election results have increased their concern about climate.

Americans Have Mixed Understanding of Climate Change and the Impact of Trump’s Agenda of Inaction 

Putting aside emotions and turning toward understanding, when asked how the Trump presidency will affect climate change efforts in the U.S., roughly equal numbers responded across answer options. Given the environmental policies of his first presidency and his intentions for his second, the answers to the survey question indicate gaps in American knowledge. Only 21% of Americans believe Trump’s actions as President could push us past critical tipping points. 17% think he will delay action, leading to increased damage to American communities and the economy. 19% say he may slow progress but without significant consequences. And 18% think it won’t change the current trajectory, which is the same percentage of people who are not sure. Only 7% are not interested. 

When asked how much they know on the topic, just over half (53%) of Americans report knowing about climate change and the solutions to it, and only 17% say they know “a lot.” Across parties, 46% of Republicans, 62% of Democrats, and 51% of Independents say they know about climate solutions. But only 16% of Republicans, 19% of Democrats, and 13% of Independents know “a lot”. These findings present an opportunity to raise awareness, understanding, and support for climate solutions that will benefit the lives and livelihoods of all Americans.

Over One-Third of Trump Voters Intend to Increase Personal Climate Action 

With Donald Trump as the new President-Elect, Americans are not waiting for politicians in Washington to move climate action forward. Rather, 46% of Americans nationally say they plan to increase their personal actions (e.g., reducing waste, conserving energy, etc.) to address climate change. More than one in three Trump voters (35%) and most Harris voters (60%) say the same. 

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Full data featured in this blog is available in the accompanying toplines.

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Methodology

ecoAmerica designed and administered this survey, which was conducted online from November 7-9, 2024, using Survey Monkey. The survey yielded a total of 1,088 complete adult responses and used the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to weigh the national general population and reflect the demographic composition of the US. The sample was drawn from an online panel, and the respondents were screened to ensure that they were over the age of 18. The margin of error for the sample is +/-3%. In interpreting the survey results, it is important to note that all sample surveys are subject to possible sampling errors. Thus, the results of a survey may differ from the results that would be obtained if the entire population were interviewed. The size of the sampling error depends upon both the total number of respondents in the survey and the percentage distribution of the responses to a particular question. For example, if 50% of the respondents in a sample of 1,088 respondents answered “Yes” to a particular question, we can be 95% confident that the true percentage would fall within 3 points or range from 47% to 53%. 

Suggested Citation

Speiser, M., Ishaq, M. (November, 2024). American Climate Perspectives Survey 2024. Vol IV.Trump’s Victory Sparks Growing Climate Concern — Even Among His Supporters. ecoAmerica. Washington, DC. 

© 2024 ecoAmerica. The contents of this report may be shared and used under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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