FACT BRIEF

Is climate change a concern for most Americans?

Saturday, December 4, 2021

By Lisa Freedland

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YES

According to recent polls, the majority of Americans report being concerned about climate change. Citing warming weather and recent "extreme weather events," 59% of Americans in an October 2021 Associated Press-NORC poll stated that climate change was an "extremely important" issue to them. Around 76% of respondents even claimed to have "taken at least one action" to reduce their personal carbon footprint.

A recent American Psychiatric Association poll similarly found that roughly 67% of Americans are worried about the impact of climate change on the planet. More than half (55%) were also concerned about climate change's impact on their mental health, with these percentages being higher for Gen Z-ers, millennials, and Gen X-ers.

Relatedly, roughly two-thirds of Americans reported that the government was doing "too little" to combat climate change in a 2020 Pew Research Center Study.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

PBS Majority in U.S. concerned about climate change, AP-NORC/EPIC poll finds

AP-NORC Center Where do Americans Stand on Climate and Energy Policy?

American Psychiatric Association New APA Poll Reveals That Americans are Increasingly Anxious About Climate Change’s Impact on Planet, Mental Health

Pew Research Two-Thirds of Americans Think Government Should Do More on Climate

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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.