Resource Type: Social Science Research

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls – including new polling on a new report from Yale and George Mason’s “Climate Change in the American Mind” study and a new meta-analysis of polls tracing political polarization on climate and environmental issues.

“The push and pull of progress and catastrophe made 2023 one of the most discordant—and consequential—years for the world’s climate,” as our friends at Inside Climate News phrased it. Indeed, 2023 was not only a roller coaster year for climate, but also for the climate movement. 
On the one hand, we saw:
Dramatic increases in renewable energy investments and installations as well as progress toward electrification, from heat pumps to EVs;
Big wins at the state and local level – including landmark climate laws passed in Minnesota and Michigan;
A Montana judge rule that young people have a “fundamental right” to a safe and stable climate, underscoring the important role of legal action within our strategic toolkit; and 
The number of folks (56%) who are “Alarmed” or “Concerned” about climate rise to the highest that it’s ever been.
And on the other: 
2023 was the hottest year on record;
Intensifying climate disasters wrecked havoc across the US and the globally, claiming thousands of lives; 
The US is not currently on track to meet its goal of cutting emissions in half by 2030;
Domestic oil and methane gas production both hit record-high levels last year; and
Our movement suffered significant setbacks around high-profile oil and gas fights, including the Willow Project and Line 5 pipeline.  
Last January, we shared thoughts on 13 ideas & trends that will shape climate activism in 2023*. Looking ahead to 2024, we will check back on some of those trends as well as what else may be coming down the pike this year.