Climate Culture Index 2024 | Rare

Americans are more likely to take climate action if they think their peers and neighbors are doing it too – or even if they think others think they should take action.

Rare’s Climate Culture Index is a nationwide research initiative that measures Americans’ mindsets about climate actions. In this latest Index, we reveal a concerning downward trend in the confidence of the public in taking these climate actions. However, in our first-ever examination of support for critical policies related to each action, we see opportunity in that actual policy support is much more popular than Americans think it is.

About the Research

Using the same methodology from the initial Indexes, in April 2024, Rare surveyed American adults online, quota-matched to be representative of the populations of the United States (n = 1,795), the greater Boston area (n = 1,015), and the greater Denver area (n = 1,064).

We studied American’s adoption and attitudes about 7 high-impact climate actions, examining the changes since prior studies. However, a key difference in this study is that it expanded to look at support for policies related to each of the 7 actions. In particular, we looked at support and perceptions of support related to policies that were identified because they were on the margin—that is, public support could be critical to influence enactment of the policies.

Climate Culture Index 2024 Results

Highlighted behavioral insights:

• Confidence to engage in impactful climate actions – drive an EV, install solar panels, sign up for community solar, and buy carbon offsets – is waning.
• Belief in the personal benefits of adopting key climate actions is dropping.
• While people believe more drivers are getting EVs and more homeowners are installing solar, the share that has considered buying an EV or installing solar is falling.
• Installing solar panels, signing up for community solar, and buying carbon offsets are reported as the most difficult actions for people to adopt.

Highlighted policy insights:

• Majority of American adults support climate-positive policies designed to boost the adoption of impactful climate actions.

Two Key Takeaways

Are Americans set to put EV growth in reverse?

Results from this Index suggest that consumer beliefs may be slowing the growth of the EV market. People are losing confidence both in their personal ability to switch to an EV and in their belief that switching to an EV is the right thing to do. Explore this key takeaway.

One Nation Under Climate Policy: The Surprising Agreement on Attitudes Toward Climate Policies

More and more Americans continue to become concerned and alarmed about climate change. However, conventional wisdom suggests tackling climate change from a policy standpoint is highly divisive. It turns out we, as Americans, may be more united in our beliefs than we think. Explore this key takeaway.

Why this research matters

Given the science and urgency of climate change, we must act immediately. The IPCC states that behavior- and lifestyle-related changes, alongside the system-level changes needed, can significantly reduce emissions. And research shows that large-scale behavioral data are key to climate policy.

However, people who don’t sense shifting norms around these behaviors are less likely to adopt climate-friendly behaviors. People may also be less willing to discuss these behaviors and the issue of climate change when they misperceive where the norm lies. And finally, if people don’t believe in their ability to adopt a new behavior or technology, they are less likely to follow through on their intentions.