Atlanta, GA, November 19, 2019 — The majority of voters in the early primary states of Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, and South Carolina support ending fossil fuel production [1], according to a new survey conducted by Civis Analytics on behalf of Greenpeace.
Greenpeace commissioned the poll to capture voters’ thoughts about climate change and environmental issues, specifically their perceptions on phasing out the extraction of fossil fuels. Key findings include:
- 2 in 3 voters in primary states regardless of political affiliation support ending the production of fossil fuels
- Of those in favor of ending fossil fuel production, 50 percent support ending production immediately
- 55 percent of voters agree that the government should guarantee jobs for fossil fuel workers transitioning to a renewable energy economy
Other findings of note include the fact that 1 in 5 voters wouldn’t trust an administration with former fossil fuel executives to act on climate change, as well as the fact that there is a distinct uptick in support for strong climate policy from young voters [2] as compared to voters 65+ years in age. [3]
These results, which come just ahead of the Atlanta Democratic debate, show that ambitious climate policies continue to be popular with primary voters.
“We already know that climate change is a key issue for voters in this race,” said Jack Shapiro, Climate Campaigner for Greenpeace USA.
“These results show that there is public support for a steadfast leader who is willing to take on the fossil fuel industry — so candidates shouldn’t be afraid to put forth progressive policies. Voters expect the next president to listen to what the science demands, and say yes to a Green New Deal and no to fossil fuels.”
Bernie Sanders currently sits in the top spot in Greenpeace’s Climate Scorecard [4], but several leading candidates are espousing key policies to stop fossil fuel expansion and shift our economy to renewable energy as they look to garner public support in the primaries.
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Notes:
[1] Civis Analytics fielded a survey to 1023 registered voters in early polling states — NH, IA, NV, SC — from Oct. 17 to Nov. 15, weighted to be representative of registered voters in those states. The survey was designed to capture thoughts about climate change and environmental issues, specifically perceptions on phasing out the extraction of fossil fuels.
[2] Young voters is defined here as those between 18-34 years of age.
[3] While the majority of 65+ year-old respondents favored phasing out fossil fuel extraction, older respondents were more likely to disagree with the policies posed in the survey when compared to the younger age groups.
[4] The interactive Greenpeace candidate scorecard is available here, a detailed breakdown by candidate is available here, and the scoring methodology is available here.
Contact:
Katie Nelson, Senior Communications Specialist, (678) 644-1681, [email protected]
Ryan Schleeter, Senior Communications Specialist, (415) 342-2386, [email protected]
