Hi all,
When Americans think about the climate debate, they imagine an ‘us vs. them’ mentality, with left-wing climate doomists in one camp and right-wing climate deniers in the other. There may be a partial truth to this, but the narrative might not be as accurate as we think.
Since 2021, the organization Rare has been publishing the Climate Culture Index, which tracks how Americans think about, discuss, and act on climate solutions. The latest edition of the Index indicates that Americans across political parties are more supportive of climate solutions than public discourse suggests. For example, among Republicans who already support climate policies, the share willing to contact their representatives to express that support doubled, rising from approximately 10-15% in 2024 to 20-30% in 2025. These policies include eating less beef, reducing food waste, installing solar panels, driving an EV, signing up for community solar, installing a heat pump, and buying carbon offsets.
As in the last edition of the Index, Americans continue to underestimate the number of people who support these climate policies. The gap is particularly significant for community solar. Many more people support signing up for community solar (83%) than Americans perceive (47%).
The organization More in Common US has arrived at similar findings to Rare. They have found that Americans across political lines believe that protecting nature is important. For example, 88% of Americans believe it is important that national parks and public lands remain open, accessible, and well-maintained. This includes 93% of Democrats, 88% of Republicans, and 83% of Independents. Also, 83% of Americans believe that the US should be a world leader in developing clean energy. This includes 73% of Republicans, 93% of Democrats, and 83% of Independents. Framing climate action around promoting American leadership could, therefore, unify Americans.
For advocates of the above-mentioned climate solutions, Rare recommends the following:
· Close the perception gap. Emphasize “you’re not alone” messaging. Use credible polling statistics and local influencer voices to correct misperceptions.
· Prioritize supporter engagement. Since willingness to contact representatives is increasing among supporters, design programs that turn passive agreement into some form of action, such as phone calls, emails, and town hall questions.
· Target controversial policies with values-first framing. For EVs and plant-forward options, highlight choice, savings, health, and local benefits, then make it easy to act.
To learn more about the Climate Culture Index 2025, click here. For a deeper dive into data sets, click here. To read Rare’s article on this topic, click here.
When Americans think about the climate debate, they imagine an ‘us vs. them’ mentality, with left-wing climate doomists in one camp and right-wing climate deniers in the other. There may be a partial truth to this, but the narrative might not be as accurate as we think.
Since 2021, the organization Rare has been publishing the Climate Culture Index, which tracks how Americans think about, discuss, and act on climate solutions. The latest edition of the Index indicates that Americans across political parties are more supportive of climate solutions than public discourse suggests. For example, among Republicans who already support climate policies, the share willing to contact their representatives to express that support doubled, rising from approximately 10-15% in 2024 to 20-30% in 2025. These policies include eating less beef, reducing food waste, installing solar panels, driving an EV, signing up for community solar, installing a heat pump, and buying carbon offsets.
As in the last edition of the Index, Americans continue to underestimate the number of people who support these climate policies. The gap is particularly significant for community solar. Many more people support signing up for community solar (83%) than Americans perceive (47%).
The organization More in Common US has arrived at similar findings to Rare. They have found that Americans across political lines believe that protecting nature is important. For example, 88% of Americans believe it is important that national parks and public lands remain open, accessible, and well-maintained. This includes 93% of Democrats, 88% of Republicans, and 83% of Independents. Also, 83% of Americans believe that the US should be a world leader in developing clean energy. This includes 73% of Republicans, 93% of Democrats, and 83% of Independents. Framing climate action around promoting American leadership could, therefore, unify Americans.
For advocates of the above-mentioned climate solutions, Rare recommends the following:
· Close the perception gap. Emphasize “you’re not alone” messaging. Use credible polling statistics and local influencer voices to correct misperceptions.
· Prioritize supporter engagement. Since willingness to contact representatives is increasing among supporters, design programs that turn passive agreement into some form of action, such as phone calls, emails, and town hall questions.
· Target controversial policies with values-first framing. For EVs and plant-forward options, highlight choice, savings, health, and local benefits, then make it easy to act.
To learn more about the Climate Culture Index 2025, click here. For a deeper dive into data sets, click here. To read Rare’s article on this topic, click here.
