Our first whitepaper surveys the general population in the United States, along with a number of key audiences – from energy and political leaders to Democrats and Republicans – regarding their opinions on climate and net zero, renewables, and carbon removal technologies. Our ambition is to remove carbon for good, meaning deploying carbon removal technology responsibly, and asking how we can deliver for people, the planet and nature.
Elimini was launched in September 2024 as a new US-based business with an ambition to be a leader in carbon removals and remove carbon for good. The company is dedicated to permanently removing carbon from the atmosphere while generating renewable, reliable power.
The data tells a story that nearly three out of four respondents are worried about climate change, they’re nervous about the potential for energy blackouts in the future, and there’s concern that modern technologies will place too much strain on the energy grid. And while 41% of respondents agreed fossil fuels should be replaced entirely by renewable energy, some also worry this could weaken the US’s energy security and risk the jobs of those working in fossil fuels today.
Some of this concern is rooted in a lack of familiarity with decarbonization technologies, policies, and trends. Most respondents were unfamiliar with or have never even heard of carbon removal technologies like direct air capture (DAC) or bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). In a similar trend the general population is also extremely unfamiliar with climate-focused policies like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Paris Agreement, or Green New Deal.
While this concern and lack of familiarity presents its challenges, it also illustrates clear opportunities for decarbonizing industries to do more to bridge these gaps. To this end, three key themes emerged from the survey results:
- Theme 1: Decarbonizing industries have a major opportunity to educate the general public and key stakeholders.
- Theme 2: People want to reduce carbon emissions, but they want someone else to pay for it.
- Theme 3: Republicans and Democrats don’t agree on much – but there are some surprising areas where they align on decarbonization.
Let’s take a closer look at the findings in each of these areas and the opportunities they represent.
THEME 1: Decarbonizing industries have a major opportunity to educate the general public and key stakeholders
When asked unaided, 80% of respondents could not name any current presidential policies or initiatives aimed at combating climate change. And while 55% supported the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which earmarked a staggering $394 billion in renewable energy and climate funding when it became law in 2022, only 1% of respondents referred to the IRA as a climate policy – indicating they may have been unaware that there were climate-focused elements included in that legislation.
However, people report being generally more aware of carbon dioxide removals (CDRs), with one out of two respondents (56%) having heard about carbon removal technologies before. However, only 16% claimed to be familiar with them and 44% had never heard of them before.
Despite being unfamiliar, 57% of people say the government should be doing more to support the development of CDR technologies – and for those who are familiar with these solutions, that number jumps to 71%. This indicates that as people are introduced to carbon removals, they become more supportive, which opens a major opportunity for the industry to win over new advocates through public education initiatives. Notably, it is also an area that received bipartisan support from a majority of both Republicans and Democrats.
THEME 2: People want to reduce carbon, but they want someone else to pay
The vast majority (73%) of people are concerned about climate change, yet other priorities like cost-of-living, inflation, jobs, and the economy are considered to be of greater importance.
In line with this finding, the survey uncovered strong public interest in transitioning the U.S. energy grid to 100% clean power, with support from 76% of respondents. However, 51% of the public is unwilling to see an increase in utility bills to achieve this – and the higher the increase, the less likely the remaining 49% are willing to remain committed: 24% of respondents would accept a 10% rate hike, but only 4% would agree to 40% or higher.
Carbon removals also received overwhelming support, with 71% of both energy and government leaders and 59% of the general population agreeing that renewable energy alone will not reduce global temperatures. In fact, 52% of general population respondents agreed that companies who cannot reduce carbon dioxide emissions in their operations should be forced to use carbon removal technologies.
Additionally, over half (56%) of respondents agreed it’s important that the US leads the way on deploying carbon removals but felt like the government (57%) and businesses (48%) should be doing more to support the development of CDR technologies. This indicates that a majority of people believe that institutions are responsible for solving climate change, while they are hesitant to personally invest or sacrifice directly. To boost support for climate initiatives, governments and organizations should highlight the positive impact of those solutions on higher concern issues, such as stabilizing US energy prices or becoming less dependent on foreign energy sources.
THEME 3: Republicans and Democrats don’t agree on much – but there are some surprising areas where they align on decarbonization
It’s well publicized that Republicans and Democrats often don’t see eye to eye. For example, in 2023 the nearly gridlocked US Congress had one of its least productive terms year in decades, only passing 20 bills throughout the entire year.
However, when it comes to decarbonization, both sides of the US political spectrum have more areas of understanding than expected. For example, the survey showed that:
- Both Republican (61%) and Democrat (66%) supporters agree that renewable energy alone will not reduce global temperatures enough.
- More than 60% of supporters in both parties were concerned modern technologies like artificial intelligence will place too much strain on the US grid, with 50% of Republicans and 46% of Democrats worried increased energy demand from these technologies poses a serious risk to America’s energy supply.
- Both Republicans (59%) and Democrats (53%) were worried about potential future energy blackouts in their state.
Not only do Republicans care more about environmental issues than they often get credit for, but the survey shows that younger Republicans (18-34) were more likely to be supportive of climate actions than Republicans over 55. This includes promoting the use of carbon removals, converting 100% of the US grid to renewables, and being willing to pay more on utility bills to help finance the energy transition. This shows there is variation and large pockets of support for decarbonizing initiatives within both political parties, and to garner maximum support, organizations should ensure engagement goes beyond the classic Democrat vs. Republican divide.
Organizations must navigate complex public perceptions to successfully advance decarbonization initiatives at scale in the US and beyond, as highlighted by this research. While there is strong support across all audiences, stark education gaps and the public’s reluctance to financially contribute to fighting climate change present barriers that will require the right approach to overcome. Fortunately, silver linings like bipartisan support for carbon removal technologies and renewable energy solutions help make ongoing efforts to slow or even reverse global warming more achievable.
Interested in reading the full Elimini Decarbonization Survey? Check it out here.