Voters want next president to favor climate policies, poll finds

Most voters want the next president to favor policies to fight climate change, outnumbering those who want a president who opposes such policies by nearly 2-to-1.

The Washington Post-ABC News poll released Friday said that 59 percent want a president who “favors government action to address climate change,” compared with 31 percent who want someone who opposes government action.

{mosads}The poll matches other recent surveys showing that voters care about fighting climate change and want the government to do something about it.

But it might also show that climate is a growing priority for voters, because so many are naming it as an issue they will care about in the 2016 race.

Climate change has consistently ranked among the lowest priorities among voters. Only 28 percent of voters in last year’s midterm elections said climate change was a top priority, according to a Pew Research Center survey at the time.

Among those who want a climate-focused president in the Post-ABC poll, nearly all of them — 97 percent — said it is an issue that is at least somewhat important to them for the election.

Opponents of a climate-focused president didn’t feel nearly as strong, with only 67 percent saying it is important.