Americans Agree, the Climate Must Be Part of the New Normal

What you need to know:

• Republicans and Democrats don’t want to lose momentum on environmental ground gained during lockdown.
   
• Most Americans think companies should institute flexible work schedules to reduce air pollution.
   
• How the government and personal habits fits into advancing and maintaining these strides is a more divisive issue.

Pictures of Los Angeles without smog, clear blue Venice canals, bears wandering around in Yosemite; COVID-19 is ushering in a brief break for the environment from human disruption.

This Earth Day a majority of Republicans and Democrats agree that they want the environmental gains we are seeing now to continue once social distancing restrictions are relaxed.  

A new Ipsos poll finds 76% of Republicans and 83% of Democrats hope that people will change their behavior, so we don't lose momentum on the cleaner waters, clearer air, and reduced environmental waste we are seeing because people are moving around less.

There is even some agreement on how to keep that energy going after social distance restrictions are eased.

Many Americans believe companies have a role to play in this effort. Two in three people believe employers should maintain flexible work schedules after the pandemic is over to reduce air pollution emitted from commuters.

In fact, there is bipartisan support for rolling out these flexible work schedules to minimize air pollution, with six in ten Republicans supporting company action like this, while about three in four (74%) Democrats back these corporate measures.

Where the government fits in is more of a divisive issue. Though 56% of Americans agree that the government should put regulations in place to address climate change similar to how they are regulating behavior during the pandemic, there is a 38-point partisan split on this question. 73% of Democrats believe government should play this role, while only 35% of Republicans agree with government intervention of that sort.

While people are turning to their employer to maintain this eco-friendly momentum post-COVID, fewer are willing to make personal changes to combat the climate crisis. 60% of people don’t anticipate driving less after the pandemic, with majorities of both Democrats (55%) and Republicans (65%) unwilling to continue this habit once restrictions from COVID-19 let up. Americans instead are more likely to say they will aim to consume less, with about half saying they plan to buy products with less packaging and limit purchases.

Even though some policies and habits are harder to agree upon, the organizing principle for shaping the new normal is plain: most Americans want cleaner water, clearer air, and reduced environmental waste in their future.