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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Is climate change a concern for most Americans?

By Lisa Freedland
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YES

According to recent polls, the majority of Americans report being concerned about climate change. Citing warming weather and recent "extreme weather events," 59% of Americans in an October 2021 Associated Press-NORC poll stated that climate change was an "extremely important" issue to them. Around 76% of respondents even claimed to have "taken at least one action" to reduce their personal carbon footprint.

A recent American Psychiatric Association poll similarly found that roughly 67% of Americans are worried about the impact of climate change on the planet. More than half (55%) were also concerned about climate change's impact on their mental health, with these percentages being higher for Gen Z-ers, millennials, and Gen X-ers.

Relatedly, roughly two-thirds of Americans reported that the government was doing "too little" to combat climate change in a 2020 Pew Research Center Study.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
PBS Majority in U.S. concerned about climate change, AP-NORC/EPIC poll finds
AP-NORC Center Where do Americans Stand on Climate and Energy Policy?
American Psychiatric Association New APA Poll Reveals That Americans are Increasingly Anxious About Climate Change’s Impact on Planet, Mental Health
Pew Research Two-Thirds of Americans Think Government Should Do More on Climate
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.