- 63% call climate "very serious" or "serious"; 72% support clean energy investment — including 46% of Republicans, making it one of the widest cross-partisan issues
- 55-point partisan gap: 78% D vs. 23% R call climate change serious — the largest partisan divide of any major policy issue tracked in 2026 polls
- Climate has risen to #4 voting issue; 41% call it a top midterm issue (up from 31% in 2022), driven by 18-34 year olds where 62% cite it
- IRA $369B in clean energy flows disproportionately to Republican-held districts — giving D candidates a local economic message that cuts through partisan polarization
Partisan Support for Climate Policies
Percentage who support each policy by party affiliation. Source: Pew Research, Yale Climate Communication, Gallup — Q1 2026 composite.
Policy-by-Policy Breakdown
Support for 8 major climate and energy policies by party. Numbers show percentage who support each policy. Source: Pew Research Center, Q1 2026.
| Policy | Democrats | Independents | Republicans | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean energy investment | 94% | 68% | 46% | 72% |
| Solar & wind expansion | 91% | 72% | 52% | 74% |
| Carbon emissions limits | 83% | 57% | 29% | 60% |
| Paris Agreement (rejoin) | 89% | 61% | 27% | 62% |
| Carbon tax on industry | 71% | 44% | 18% | 47% |
| EV purchase incentives | 82% | 51% | 29% | 56% |
| Ban new oil drilling (fed. land) | 74% | 39% | 14% | 44% |
| Climate resilience spending | 86% | 63% | 41% | 64% |
The Generation Gap on Climate
Ages 18–34
Call climate change a top voting issue. This group shows the highest activation on climate of any generation — and the widest gap with older voters. 81% say the government isn’t doing enough.
Ages 35–54
Call climate a top voting issue. This middle cohort is more divided by income and education than by age. College-educated voters in this bracket skew strongly toward climate action; non-college voters prioritize the economy and jobs.
Ages 55+
Call climate a top voting issue. Older voters give higher priority to Social Security, Medicare, and healthcare costs. While many acknowledge climate change is real, few rank it above pocketbook and healthcare concerns.
Why This Matters for November 2026
Climate is now a reliable turnout driver for the Democratic base — particularly among young voters and college-educated suburban women. In 2022, climate-focused voters broke D by 74–22 in exit polls. That margin is likely to hold or widen in 2026, especially in districts where clean energy jobs are an economic argument.
The electoral math: the 41% who call climate a top issue are not evenly distributed. They are concentrated in urban and suburban districts that Democrats already win, and in competitive swing districts — especially in the Mountain West and Sun Belt — where climate anxiety intersects with water scarcity, wildfire risk, and extreme heat.
2026 Electoral Implications
Climate policy intersects with electoral outcomes in several ways heading into November 2026:
- Suburban college-educated voters: The decisive swing group in 2018 and 2022 midterms, these voters rate climate policy highly. In the Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Denver suburbs, clean energy messaging has tested well against Republican incumbents.
- Youth turnout: When youth turnout rises, Democrats gain. Climate is one of the top three issues driving 18-29 turnout, alongside student debt and abortion. Forecasters project a 4-6 point Democratic advantage in seats where youth turnout exceeds 2022 levels.
- IRA and clean energy jobs: The Inflation Reduction Act funded thousands of clean energy jobs in key congressional districts. Republican efforts to roll back IRA provisions have polled poorly even in Republican-leaning districts in Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan.
- The wildfire and drought factor: Western states experiencing acute climate effects — California, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada — show above-average climate salience. In Senate and House races in these states, climate messaging by Democrats is likely to be prominent.
