New Jerseyans are concerned about the impacts of climate change, especially on future generations

EAGLETON INSTITUTE OF POLITICS – A majority of New Jerseyans are concerned at some level about the effects of changing climate conditions and place responsibility for limiting greenhouse gas emissions on various levels of government and businesses, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll in collaboration with the New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center.

More than three-quarters each are concerned about climate change’s effect on future
generations (“very” 51%, 27% “somewhat”) and infrastructure and roadways (“very” 37%, 41%
“somewhat”). Three-quarters express concern about the state economy (“very” 36%, 39% “somewhat”).

Seven in 10 are concerned about changing climate’s impact on themselves, their families and friends (37% “very,” 33% “somewhat”), as well as plants and animals (36% “very,” 34% “somewhat”). Two-thirds are concerned about the impact on property values (33% “very,” 33% “somewhat”). Sixty-five percent each are concerned about the changing climate’s effect on low-income households (35% “very,” 30% “somewhat”) and their town or city (27% “very,” 38% “somewhat”).

“Climate change is not an abstract issue for New Jerseyans,” said Ashley Koning, an assistant
research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. “It is something they are worried about in real and concrete ways, from the roads they drive on to the economy they depend on to the world they are leaving for the next generation. Residents are also clear about who bears responsibility for addressing it, placing that weight most heavily on government at every level, fossil fuel companies and business and industry – even as partisanship shapes just how strongly people feel on both
fronts.”

“New Jersey is getting warmer, more intense rainfall events are occurring, and sea level continues to rise which also raises the baseline for coastal flooding during high tides and storms; New Jerseyans are right to be concerned,” said Marjorie Kaplan, co-director of the New
Jersey Climate Change Resource Center.

When it comes to limiting the greenhouse gas emissions, New Jerseyans assign the most responsibility to business corporations and industry (78% say they have at least “some” responsibility) and the federal government (77%). Industrialized nations outside the U.S. (76%), fossil fuel companies (75%), the state government (74%) and car manufacturers (72%) closely
follow.

Sixty-four percent place some level of responsibility on their local government (28% “a lot,”
36% “some”) and 61% say individual people have a responsibility (23% “a lot,” 38% “some”).

Thoughts on responsibility for addressing the effects of changing climate conditions are similar, though some entities’ positions shift slightly. In this scenario, residents place the most
responsibility on the federal government (78%), followed closely by the state government (76%), businesses and industry (75%), fossil fuel companies (74%) and industrialized nations outside the U.S. (74%).

Sixty-nine percent say car manufacturers have at least “some” responsibility, 65% say this about their local government and 57% about individual people.

Across all of these questions, partisanship emerges as the strongest driver of climate concern and responsibility attribution in New Jersey, with Democrats substantially more likely than
Republicans to express high levels of concern and to assign responsibility to government and industry actors. Independents track closer to Republicans on personal concern, while moving
toward Democrats when it comes to assigning accountability.

There is also a consistent gender gap, with women outpacing men on concern across every item
tested. Among racial and ethnic groups, Black New Jerseyans stand out as the most concerned on nearly every dimension, often by double digits compared with white residents.

Exurban residents show the lowest concern and lowest responsibility attribution of any geographic subgroup. Those living near Philadelphia in South Jersey also are below the statewide average across most items.

Lower-income residents express greater personal concern, while higher-income and more educated respondents are more likely to assign systemic responsibility to the federal government and fossil fuel companies.

“Lower-income households feel the personal weight of changing climate conditions most acutely, yet it is higher-income and more educated residents who are most likely to assign systemic responsibility to the federal government and fossil fuel companies – a reminder that experiencing a problem and having a framework for solving it don’t always go hand in hand,” said Koning.

Results are from a statewide poll of 1,568 adults contacted through the probability-based
Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel from March 27 to March 30. The full sample has a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points.