Overview
RFF's Climate Insights data tool examines American public opinion on issues related to climate change—beliefs about existence and threat, as well as public support for government action and specific policy preferences. Every few years, Stanford University Professor Jon Krosnick collaborates with scholars at Resources for the Future to explore American public opinion on these issues through a series of rigorous national surveys of random samples of American adults.
Explore the Data
RFF Climate Insights Survey Data Explorer
Category
- Fundamentals
- Responsibility & Action
- Government Policies
- Economic Impacts
- Past and Future Impacts
- Attitude Strength
- Trust in Science
- Natural Disasters
Question
- Existence of Climate Change
- Certainty about Climate Change
- Certainty about No Climate Change
- Future Temperature Changes
- Certainty about Temperature Changes
- Certainty about No Temperature Changes
- Causes of Climate Change
- Past Impacts (3 Years)
- Past Impacts (100 Years)
- Future Impacts
- Future Impacts of 5°F Warming
- Most Serious Problem
- Who Should Have Responsibility
- Who Should Do More
- Current Action
- Unilateral Action
- Government Role
- Carbon Pricing
- 2020 Stimulus
- Regulation/Subsidies By Sector
- — Appliances
- — Buildings
- — Electric Vehicles
- — Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
- — Power Plants
- Taxes/Subsidies By Sectors
- — Air Pollution from Coal
- — Electricity Taxes
- — Gasoline Taxes
- — Nuclear Power Plants
- — Water, Wind, and Solar
- Effect on Economy
- Effect on Jobs
- Past Impact seen by Americans
- Past Impact on Americans
- Past Impact on Droughts
- Past Impacts (3 Years)
- Past Impacts (100 Years)
- Future Impacts
- Future Impacts of 5°F Warming
- Future Impacts on Storms
- Future Impacts on Sea Levels
- Impact on Future Generations
- Future Impact on Americans
- Level of Knowledge
- Opinion Strength
- Personal Importance
- Wildfire Adaptation Policies
- Flood Adaptation Policies
- Who Should Take Action on Wildfires
- Who Should Take Action on Flood Damage
- Government Role Paying for Disaster Insurance
- Taxpayer Role Paying for Preventing Fire Damage
- Taxpayer Role Paying for Preventing Flood Damage
- Trust in Scientists
- Perception of Scientific Views on Climate Change
- Perception of Scientific Views on Human Role on Climate Change
View
- National
- State
2020 Climate Insights Survey
The 2020 iteration of the Climate Insights survey polled 999 American adults during the 80-day period from May 28, 2020 to August 16, 2020. Find out more about the survey here and below:

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.
Historic Surveys
More information about recent surveys can be found below:
July 2018
- Survey questions and answers: Public Attitudes on Global Warming 2018 (PDF)
- ABC News article: Public backs action on global warming - but with cost concerns and muted urgency
April 2015
- Survey questions and answers: Global Warming National Poll 2015: Part III (PDF)
February 2015
- New York Times article: Climate Change Is of Growing Personal Concern to US Hispanics, Poll Finds
- Survey questions and answers: Global Warming National Poll 2015: Part II (PDF)
- Background Material on Hispanic Attitudes toward Climate Change (PDF)
January 2015
- New York Times article: Most Americans Support Government Action on Climate Change, Poll Finds
- New York Times interactive: Global Warming: What Should Be Done?
- Survey questions and answers: Global Warming National Poll 2015 (PDF)
June 2014
- Press release: Public Opinion on Climate Remains Unchanged, According to New RFF Survey
- Survey questions and answers: Global Warming National Poll 2014 (PDF)
December 2013
- USA Today article: Poll: Americans See Impact of Global Warming
- USA Today article: Poll: Slight Majority Backs Keystone Pipeline
- Common Resources blog post: RFF/Stanford/USA Today Poll Shows Majority Support for Regulating Power Plant GHG Emissions
- Infographic: Surveying American Attitudes Toward Climate Change
- Survey questions and answers: Global Warming and Clean Energy National Poll 2013 (PDF)
- Seminar: Public Attitudes about Climate Change and Clean Energy
- Seminar: Climate Change and Clean Energy—A Survey of US Public Attitudes
Terminology
Since 1997, Stanford University Professor Jon Krosnick has led surveys exploring American public opinion on issues related to global warming, human activity, government policies to address climate change, and more, through a series of rigorous national surveys of random samples of American adults. When this research program began, “global warming” was the term in common parlance. That term was used throughout the surveys over the decades and was always defined for respondents, so it was properly understood. In recent years, the term “climate change” has risen in popularity, so both terms are used in this report interchangeably. When describing survey question wordings and results, the term “global warming” is used, to match the term referenced during interviews. Empirical studies have shown that survey respondents interpret the terms “global warming” and “climate change” to have equivalent meanings (Villar and Krosnick 2011).