From its earliest days, the Barr Foundation has counted the environment among its central priorities. In 2010, Barr focused its entire environmental portfolio on climate change. We recognized both the urgency of action and the abundant opportunities that Massachusetts, and our broader region had to advance solutions, and to play significant leading roles nationally and beyond.
To inform our approach, and as a resource to others who share these aims, that same year we partnered with The MassINC Polling Group, to give visibility to the level of awareness and concern people in Massachusetts had about climate change, its impact on their communities, and what – if anything – they wanted to see their elected leaders do about it.
The MassINC Polling Group released a first poll on these questions in 2011. And the Barr Foundation has been pleased to continue this partnership, to sustain visibility on these important questions, and to understand trends.
The MassINC Polling Group released findings from the newest edition of this poll just last week. Their report, The Waters Around Us: Public opinion research on Massachusetts residents’views on climate change, provides the snapshot of a continuing trend – that Bay Staters are feeling an increasing urgency for climate action and leadership.
Above all, we are struck that 53% of respondents now say global warming is a high priority (up from just 32% as recently as 2011). What’s more, 79% characterize climate change as serious problem for Massachusetts, and are well aware of current and looming climate impacts—especially threats to public health and to low-income communities. Majorities also want to see more state leadership and policies that accelerate needed transformation. Support for greater investment in public transportation and offshore wind is particularly strong.
We encourage you to take a closer look at the full report, which can be found – along with slides from the release event, and full crosstabs of all data – on MassINC Polling Group’s “The Topline” blog via the button below.
Though we continue to see contrasts in opinion across age, gender, different parts of the state, types of communities, and political leanings, the long-term trends across all demographics are clear. And these bring to life what many of us see firsthand in our work every day—that people in all parts of Massachusetts recognize that responding to climate change is both a necessity and opportunity, and there is no time to lose.
