Americans ready to take climate action
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

Most Americans are willing to take steps to help address climate change, a new survey finds.
Why it matters: While some Americans still haven't accepted climate change's impact, most believe it's a major threat.
What they did: Environmental company Veolia and French research and consulting firm Elabe polled 2,000 U.S. adults online between Oct. 17 and Nov. 6, 2023, as part of their "Barometer of Ecological Transformation," a regular report on global views surrounding climate change.
What they found: 61% of Americans feel vulnerable to a lower quality of life due to climate change, while 57% worry about climate-related health risks, per the survey.
- 61% of Americans are open to drinking recycled wastewater in the face of water shortages, 74% would eat food grown using recycled water, and 82% would pay more to filter microplastics out of their drinking water.
What they're saying: "If you had to retain one thing from this barometer, it's that Americans are craving action now β they're ready for it and looking for it," Veolia CEO Estelle Brachlianoff tells Axios.
Reality check: Personal behavior changes and interventions are great, but truly addressing climate change requires action on the part of governments and big corporations.
What's next: People may become even more likely to embrace climate adaptations as they see firsthand evidence of a changing planet, like hotter summers, more wildfire smoke and so on.
- "Maybe this is the one thing joining humanity across the globe," Brachlianoff says. "We've all lived it, you know β at times it takes shocks."
