U.S. — About six-in-ten Americans believe countries around the world, including the United States, will not do enough to avoid the worst effects of climate change, according to a March 2026 Pew Research Center survey. The survey, conducted among 3,524 U.S. adults from March 16 to 22, 2026, found growing pessimism, especially among Democrats.
Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, 69% said in 2026 that countries will not do enough to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, up from 51% in 2022. Just one-quarter of all U.S. adults believe international actors will do enough, while a clear majority say they will not. A majority of Americans also say climate change is a very big or moderately big problem for the country, with nearly all Democrats holding that view.
The survey shows that 68% of Democrats and Democratic leaners say climate change is already harming people in the U.S. a great deal or quite a bit, compared with 22% of Republicans and GOP leaners. A majority of Republicans consider climate change no more than a small problem, though younger Republicans express more concern: 31% of Republicans under 30 say climate change is harming the U.S. a great deal or quite a bit, while 37% say it is causing some harm.
A majority of Americans say the federal government is doing too little on climate change, a share slightly higher than during the Biden administration. The partisan divide remains stark: 87% of Democrats say the government is doing too little, compared with 31% of Republicans. The gap between the two parties on this issue has been at least 51 percentage points since 2018.
Among those who say climate change is harming the country at least some, 50% believe major changes to everyday life will be needed to address most problems caused by climate change. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to expect such changes—58% versus 38%. However, few Americans are optimistic that technology will solve climate-related problems: only 20% say it is extremely or very likely that new technology will address most issues, while 35% say it is not too or not at all likely. Partisans largely agree on this point.
About half of U.S. adults say large technology companies can do a lot to address climate change, and most who see climate harm believe big businesses and the federal government can make a big difference. However, Americans who acknowledge climate harm are far less likely to say ordinary individuals can make a big impact.