Americans are increasingly doubtful that the United States and other countries will act aggressively enough to avoid the worst effects of climate change, especially among Democrats.
A Pew Research Center survey, conducted March 16-22 among 3,524 U.S. adults, found that about six in 10 Americans say countries around the world, including the U.S., will not do enough to prevent the most severe consequences of climate change. Only about one-quarter of adults believe international actors will do enough, Pew reported.
There was a sharp shift among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents compared to the previous survey on the matter. In 2022, 51% of Democrats said the U.S. and other countries would not do enough to avoid the worst climate effects. In 2026, that share rose to 69%, Pew found.
Pew noted that the survey follows major Trump administration moves to reshape federal climate policy, including withdrawal from international climate agreements and efforts to weaken emissions and fuel-efficiency rules in both of his terms as president.
Americans remain divided not only over what should be done, but over how serious the problem of climate change is. Most Democrats (68%) say climate change is harming people in the U.S. a great deal or quite a bit. In contrast, only 22% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say the same, according to Pew.
The poll found that 87% of Democrats say the government is doing too little on climate change, compared with 31% of Republicans. Still, it found some Republican openness to international cooperation, with 54% of Republicans saying they support U.S. participation in global efforts to address climate change.
The report also shows a generational divide inside the Republican Party. Among Republicans under 30, 48% say the federal government is doing too little on climate change. Among Republicans 50 and older, that share falls to 21%.
Pew’s broader climate polling found that Americans’ views on the cause of climate change have remained largely stable over the past decade. About 48% of U.S. adults say the Earth is warming mostly because of human activity, such as burning fossil fuels. Another 22% say warming is mostly due to natural patterns, while 12% say there is no solid evidence the Earth is warming.
Three-quarters of Democrats say climate change is mostly caused by human activity, compared with 21% of Republicans. Among conservative Republicans, only 14% say human activity is the main cause. At the same time, many Americans say they are seeing climate-related changes around them. In a related Pew finding, 68% of adults said extreme weather events in the U.S. are happening more often, while 62% said they are becoming more severe.
