Back to Climate Insights

About the Climate Insights Survey

RFF works with Stanford University to conduct in-depth surveys of American perceptions of climate change and energy policies.

Overview

RFF's Climate Insights survey is the result of a longstanding polling partnership led by RFF University Fellow and Stanford University professor Jon Krosnick. Past polls have been featured in publications including the New York Times, LA Times, USA Today, ABC News, and elsewhere. Topics frequently surveyed include:

How serious a problem is global warming for the United States and for the world?
Are the President and members of Congress ascribing sufficient importance to the issue of global warming?
Do Americans support government efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, such as higher taxes on electricity and gasoline, or tax breaks for companies that produce more renewable or clean energy?

2020 Survey Results

Data Tool — Aug 24, 2020

Climate Insights

A new interactive tool provides comprehensive data on American public attitudes toward climate change between 1997 and 2020.

Report — Aug 24, 2020

Climate Insights 2020: Overall Trends

A survey of American public opinion on climate change and the environment

Report — Sep 4, 2020

Climate Insights 2020: Natural Disasters

Surveying American Public Opinion on Climate Change and the Environment

Report — Sep 23, 2020

Climate Insights 2020: Policies and Politics

A new study surveying public opinion on proposed environmental policies reveals that Americans are widely supportive of climate mitigation measures.

Report — Oct 13, 2020

Climate Insights 2020: Partisan Divide

A breakdown of survey results by party shows that although the views of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents differ, they also converge in ways that may be unexpected.

Report — Oct 19, 2020

Climate Insights 2020: Electric Vehicles

A survey of American public opinion on electric vehicles illustrates the factors that make people resistant to purchasing them.

Report — Oct 26, 2020

Climate Insights 2020: Opinion in the States

A public opinion survey reveals the state-level attitudes, opinions, and beliefs on climate change and policies designed to mitigate its effects.

Methodology and Data

Overall Trends: Survey Questions and Data

PDF — 599.9 KB

Natural Disasters: Technical Report

PDF — 584.9 KB

Natural Disasters: Questions and Data

PDF — 411.9 KB

Policies and Politics: Technical Report

PDF — 301.8 KB

Policies and Politics: Questions and Data

PDF — 698.8 KB

Partisan Divide: Technical Report

PDF — 220.3 KB

Partisan Divide: Survey Questions and Data

PDF — 198.0 KB

Electric Vehicles: Technical Report

PDF — 6.2 MB

Opinion in the States: Technical Report

DOCX — 48.7 KB

Past Survey Results

Past Events

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RFF Live — Sep 24, 2020

Climate Insights 2020: Climate Change and the American Voter

This event was part of the global digital activations for Climate Week NYC 2020 and focused on US political dynamics, climate change, and American voters’ priorities.

Workshop/Seminar — Mar 11, 2014

Climate Change and Clean Energy—A Survey of US Public Attitudes

RFF presented additional results from a survey about Americans' attitudes on climate change and provide an in-depth discussion on what this could mean for climate policy in the United States.

Workshop/Seminar — Jan 28, 2014

Public Attitudes about Climate Change and Clean Energy

RFF and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) conducted a briefing discussing American perceptions of climate change following a new in-depth survey.