DOLLARS, CENTS AND CUTTING EMISSIONS
People’s opinions about some public policies can be influenced by perceptions of their impact on the economy. And proposed efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by changing how power is produced, used, and managed might affect the economy in numerous sectors.
So public support for climate change mitigation efforts might dip when concerns about unemployment and financial security are high.
IMPACT ON JOBS AND THE ECONOMY
But in fact, only a minority of Americans believe that global warming action negatively affects the economy.
As shown in the figure below, about one quarter of respondents from 2009 to 2018 (with some variation over the years) believed that government actions on global warming will hurt the U.S. economy.
Question wording can be found here.
With percentages hovering around 50% since November 2009, pluralities of people have said that such actions will instead help the economy, as shown in the chart below.
Question wording can be found here.
Even as unemployment climbed to 9.8% in November 2010, people did not become more likely to see potential government action on global warming as creating problems for jobs. Many more people believed that action on global warming will increase jobs in the country (48%) in 2010, than believed the opposite (18%) (see the following two figures).
Question wording can be found here.
Question wording can be found here.
When respondents were asked about their states of residence, 45% felt that there will be more jobs in their state as a result of possible global warming actions, and 48% thought it will help their economy, as shown in the following two graphs.
Question wording can be found here.
Question wording can be found here.
American Public Opinion on Global Warming 