Almost a third of Americans believe the US should completely phase out the use of fossil fuels, finds poll
March 2022 - Oil and Gas
Almost a third of Americans believe the U.S. should completely phase out the use of fossil fuels: A survey of U.S. adults has found that almost a third (31%) are of of the opinion that the U.S. should phase out the use of oil, natural gas and coal completely.
The survey was conducted in January 2022 by Pew Research Center and polled 10,237 U.S. adults, also finding that two-thirds of respondents, were in favour of using a hybrid approach to energy, using both fossil fuels and renewable sources.
Also revealed by the research was that 69% of Americans are in support of taking steps towards becoming carbon neutral by 2050, with the same percentage (69%) also in favour of prioritising the development of alternative energy sources.
There was a stark difference in opinion between Republican and Democrat voters when it came to supporting carbon neutrality plans, according to the the research, with 64% of Republicans and 32% of Republican-leaning independents against taking steps towards becoming carbon neutral by 2050, compared to 11% of Democrat voters and 6% of Democrat-leaning independents.
When it comes to the phasing out of fossil fuels completely, just 6% of Republicans and 21% of Republican-leaning independents said they support this move, compared to 37% of Democrat voters and 63% of Democrat-leaning independents.
The vast majority of Republican respondents (93%) said they support a mix of fossil fuels (oil, coal and natural gas) and renewables (solar, wind, etc.), in contrast to 61% of Democrat voters polled.
The research also asked people about the role of the U.S. in global efforts to prevent the acceleration of climate change, finding three-quarters were in favour of U.S participation. More than a third of respondents (36%) said they do not feel the U.S. is doing enough when it comes to supporting international efforts to reduce climate change (compared with large economy countries), while 31% said they think the U.S. is doing 'about as much' and 32% believe it is doing 'more than' others.
Sign up to our newsletter to receive free insights from your sector...
Support Us...
We hope that you have found this article useful. This section is freely available for all to use. Please help support it by liking us or following us on our social media platforms:
