Climate change remains a top environmental issue for Californians as the November election draws closer, and the stance a candidate takes on the environment matters to most voters. At a briefing last week, survey analysts Lauren Mora and Deja Thomas discussed this sentiment and other key findings from the latest PPIC survey on local, state, and national environmental issues.
“Close to eight in ten California likely voters say that a candidate’s position on environmental issues is very or somewhat important to determining their vote for president, US Senator, and in House representative races,” said Mora. It’s a factor at play for about nine in ten Democrats, eight in ten independents, and just over half of Republicans.
In terms of climate policy, likely voters and adults tend to favor approaches that mitigate climate change, such as reducing greenhouse gases, over those that adapt to a harsher climate. Overall, partisans express opposing views, with 75% of Democrats and 60% of independents preferring mitigation while 63% of Republicans prefer adaptation. A climate measure on the ballot this fall—a $10 billion bond for climate resiliency projects—would receive a yes vote from a majority of likely voters (59%).
Mora observed that Californians’ worries with climate change may be related to concerns about their homes: most adults are at least somewhat concerned about rising home insurance costs. Residents in the Inland Empire express the highest level of anxiety as do people earning incomes over $80,000 and homeowners.
About a quarter of California adults have even considered moving to a different home because of the impacts of global warming such as flooding and wildfires, Mora said. However, residents earning under $40,000, younger adults, and renters are more likely to consider such a move.
Golden State residents seem to accept that addressing environmental issues will require some compromise: over half of adults and likely voters (58%) say that stricter environmental regulations are worth the cost, Mora reported, compared to about 40% who think these laws could hurt the economy. Moreover, two in three favor a state law requiring 100% of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2045.
Yet residents are reluctant to promise more of their own dollars to alternative sources. Majorities across most regions and demographic groups, including those in different income brackets, say they are not willing to pay more for renewable energy.
Californians, however, are aware of the larger environmental threats facing lower-income communities. About seven in ten feel water pollution is a bigger threat in lower-income areas than in their area of California, and a majority feel the same about air pollution, Mora said.
Likewise, Californians recognize that certain communities may need priority as the state builds strategies to address climate-related risks. “About three in four adults and likely voters say it is at least somewhat important to prioritize social equity, tribal nations, and disadvantaged communities … in planning strategies,” Thomas said. Nearly all Californians feel the same in terms of supporting wildfire-prone communities and building fire prevention projects.
