Americans' Environmental Blind Spot

Environmental policy is often framed, like many issues in our public discourse, as a battleground of “left vs. right.” The national narrative often casts progressives as climate alarmists and conservatives as climate deniers. With these competing narrow framings, over eight in ten Americans are understandably frustrated with the partisan nature of environmental discourse.

Our latest research finds that Americans agree on more than they think when it comes to environmental policies. Large majorities across party lines support protecting public lands, addressing pollution, and leading the world in clean energy development. Yet most Americans underestimate how widely these views are shared, both within their own party and across the aisle. ​

Highlighting these misperceptions matter. While partisan differences in opinion remain — particularly around the pace of environmental action — identifying and leveraging shared values around land stewardship and American leadership can create a strong foundation for making bipartisan progress on solutions to protect the environment.

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Key Takeaways

1. Americans, regardless of political affiliation, agree that protecting nature is important. ​

• 88% of Americans say that it is important that national parks and public lands remain open, accessible, and well-maintained—including 93% of Democrats, 88% of Republicans, and 83% of Independents. ​
• 76% of Americans think that it is important for the government to actively address environmental issues such as pollution—including 91% of Democrats, 66% of Republicans, and 73% of Independents.

2. Framing climate action in terms of promoting American leadership can be a powerful unifier.

• 83% of Americans think the US should be a world leader in developing clean energy, including 73% of Republicans, 93% of Democrats, and 83% of Independents.

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• Americans across the political spectrum express a sense of inevitability around the energy transition. As a result, they believe the US should lead on clean energy—not just for environmental reasons but economic ones, too.​

“The transition to clean energy is taking place whether we like it or not. If we want to benefit economically, we need to be a part of it.​”

– Mick, 47-year-old white man, Independent from Citrus Springs, Florida​

“If the US wants to be seen as a leader in the world then we can’t just pick and choose what issues we want to lead in. Leading any initiative encourages product development and creates jobs.​”

– Deb, 42-year-old white woman, Democrat from Waukesha, Wisconsin​

“We should be a leader in developing clean energy but more so we can lead economically. It should not be at the detriment of our industries/economy.”​​

– Jeanne, 47-year-old white woman, Republican from Washougal, Washington

3. Americans are more aligned on clean energy leadership than they realize, and these misperceptions within and across party lines may be blocking opportunities for bipartisan progress.

• More than two times as many Republicans think that the US should become a leader in clean energy than Republicans themselves estimate (73% versus 33%).
• Similarly, almost twice as many Democrats think that the US should become a leader in clean energy than Democrats themselves estimate (93% versus 57%).

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4. Yet Americans somewhat disagree about the pace of environmental action and whether climate change will affect the economy.

• When it comes to seizing the moment, Republicans and Democrats differ: 47% of Republicans and 88% of Democrats agree that we should “speed up our action on climate change.”  ​
• Moreover, only 45% of Republicans—compared to 83% of Democrats—are concerned about how climate change will impact the US economy. 

5. Ultimately, Americans are committed to tackling the challenge of climate change together, irrespective of its causes. ​

• ​Our previous research shows that while most Americans (64%) believe climate change is primarily caused by human activity, a significant portion (20%) believe it is happening but driven only by natural factors. ​
• Yet across these differences, there is a strong shared commitment for action: 82% of Americans agree we should “work together to solve the problem of climate change, regardless of its causes.” ​