Poll: Massachusetts residents see climate change as a serious problem for state
Poll press release:
A new poll finds Massachusetts residents concerned about the impacts of climate change and supportive of policies aimed at mitigating the threat. Three-quarters of residents think that climate change will pose a very (48%) or somewhat (29%) serious problem to the Commonwealth if left unchecked. Majorities say that climate impacts, including heat waves (58%), coastal flooding (60%), and more powerful storms (62%), are already or very likely to hit the state in the next 5 years. Climate change is also taking an emotional toll, with residents reporting feelings of anxiety (18%), sadness (14%), fear (13%), anger (8%), and helplessness (3%).
The poll included additional responses from Black, Latino, and Asian residents, to enable a closer look at opinion between and within each group. Consistent with national polling, Black and Latino residents are more likely to say climate change is a “very serious” problem for the state. This poll also echoes national polling in showing a large partisan gap in concern about climate, with 62% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents calling it a very serious problem, compared to just 22% of Republicans and Republican leaners.
These are some of the key findings from a new poll of 1,890 Massachusetts residents sponsored by the Barr Foundation and conducted by The MassINC Polling Group with collaboration from The Boston Globe. The findings of the poll will be discussed at a live Zoom event 2pm Wednesday, April 20. The event is part of the Globe’s Sustainability Week programming.
As worried as residents are about climate, this poll suggests concern may have ebbed slightly since a similar Barr poll conducted in late 2019. In that poll, 54% of residents called climate change a high priority for state government. Now that figure now stands at 47%, while concerns about fuel and energy costs (64%) and jobs and the economy (68%) have risen. The share who consider climate change a “very serious” problem for the state declined slightly as well, from 53% in 2019 to 48% now.
“A lot has happened since that 2019 poll: a global pandemic, a presidential election, and now a war affecting global energy prices,” said Richard Parr, research director at The MassINC Polling Group, which conducted the survey. “Massachusetts residents are still worried about climate change, but other pressing concerns are weighing on them as well. News about the need to take action on climate may also be having a hard time breaking through.”
The vast scientific consensus is that climate change needs to be addressed immediately, regardless of what else is happening. Residents report they are taking some steps on their own, most commonly recycling (79%) and adjusting their thermostats to save energy (62%). But on other activities, there is room for growth. Only 34% say they currently vote based on their climate priorities.
The poll also suggests that government has a role in helping residents make larger investments and lifestyle changes. While 13% of homeowners say they already have solar panels or a heat pump, only 21% of homeowners say they plan to install a heat pump at some point in the future; only 27% are considering solar. But majorities of homeowners say that receiving an incentive or rebate (60%) or a tax break (54%) would prompt them to move up their schedule on such improvements. There is also majority support for the state requiring new and renovated buildings to use renewable power (67%), be pre-wired to charge electric vehicles (70%), and be fully electric (57%). And 76% support updating the state’s building codes to better account for threats from climate change.
On the transportation front, drivers are split on whether their next car is likely (44%) or not likely (38%) to be electric. Only 18% say they are “very likely” to buy an EV, with interest highest among those with the highest levels of education (25%) and income (26%).
Residents are much more willing to walk instead of drive for short trips (73%) and to ride a bike if there were separated or protected lanes or paths (59%). And majorities are willing to take public transit if it were more available (64%), reliable (61%), frequent (60%), or free (62%). Within Route 128, where public transit is most prevalent, majorities are “very willing” to ride if each of these changes were made.
“These numbers suggest an all-of-the-above approach to reducing carbon pollution from transportation,” said Parr. “It’s tempting to think we can simply switch from gas cars to EVs, but this poll shows even more willingness to actually leave the car parked for at least some trips.”
About the poll
These results are based on a survey of 1,890 Massachusetts residents. Live telephone interviews and online interviewing were conducted in English and Spanish between March 23 and April 5, 2022. Telephone respondents were reached by both landline and cell phone. Oversamples were conducted to obtain a total at least 250 Black, 250 Latino, and 200 Asian residents. Results within race and ethnicity were weighted by age, gender, and education level. These were then combined and weighted by race, age, gender, education, geography, and party to reflect known and estimated population parameters for the adult population of Massachusetts. The credibility interval for this survey is +/- 2.6 percentage points for the entire sample, including the design effect. This poll was sponsored by The Barr Foundation.