The Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in partnership with the University of Michigan, and Muhlenberg College recently sponsored a survey of public opinion on climate change and policy options. The results of the survey were released on December 11 at the National Conference on Climate Governance.
From my reading of the results it appears to be a well designed study, which fits well with previous research on the same topic.
While the study was designed with the intent of informing discussion of public policy, business people and green entrepreneurs may find a number of findings interesting:
- The majority of Americans believe that climate change is ocurring.
- Individuals cite personal observations as a their primary reasons for believing what they do about climate change. For example, the melting of glaciers was the most frequently cited reason overall for consumers believing in climate change, but the strength of hurricanes was cited more frequently in Mississippi.
- The majority of Americans support government efforts to address global warming, however there is strong opposition to solutions that involve taxes.
- Significant differences exist between consumer views based upon demographic (age, gender, political affiliation, geography).
With these points in mind, I think that there are numerous business takaways, depending upon your perspective. For marketers, imagery and messaging that emphasises personal experiences may be more effective that logical scientific arguments. Likewise, when thinking about your revenue model, just as citizens gravitate towards solutions in which the costs are hidden (increased fuel economy requirements vs. increasing gas taxes), solutions such as solar-as-service models may assist in speeding adoption of these technologies.
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