New Potential Energy-Rockefeller Foundation Study: Climate Support Strong Across Leading Democracies, But Words Matter
PR Newswire
NEW YORK, June 18, 2026
On the heels of the G7 Summit, a study of more than 83,000 adults across six of the seven countries – United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada – reveals strong support for climate solutions across the ideological spectrumBut message matters: "net zero" was the single least popular climate term testedNew climate communications playbook shows how countries can broaden support by focusing on pollution, health, household costs, energy independence, and protecting familiesNEW YORK, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Potential Energy Coalition, with financial support from The Rockefeller Foundation, today released Fixing Climate Communications, a new evidence-based playbook for communicating about climate more effectively across leading democracies. Drawing on research with more than 83,000 adults across the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada, the study identifies the messages that broaden support across ideological divides and the language that can undermine it, offering practical guidance at a time when many institutions are embracing a growing trend of climate hushing. Shared concerns - pollution, health, affordability, energy security, and protecting future generations - increased support by more than 10 percentage points across six of the Group of Seven (G7) countries, and by contrast, messages emphasizing bans, mandates, disruption, or "net zero" consistently underperformed.
