The Nature Conservancy : Pennsylvania Voters Overwhelmingly Support Build Back Better Act

Press release from The Nature Conservancy:

October 26, 2021

Pennsylvanians see action on climate change-related issues as “Very Important”.

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The Nature Conservancy today released results of a recent survey that found Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support the Build Back Better Act, and believe investing in projects aimed at fighting climate change is very important.

The poll, conducted by the bipartisan research team of New Bridge Strategy and FM3 Research, surveyed 600 registered voters throughout Pennsylvania in mid-October to assess their views of the Act and determine which issues they deemed most important. The poll covered a range of topics including climate change, health care, the economy and education. The margin of error is +/-4.00% for the overall sample.

The message is clear: Pennsylvanians want our legislators to support the Build Back Better Act.

Lori Brennan

Executive Director, The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania & Delaware

Nearly two-thirds of respondents support the proposals being considered in the Build Back Better Act, with a majority of respondents naming climate change-related issues “very important.”

“The fact that Pennsylvania voters ranked climate change related issues as a top concern clearly demonstrates that Pennsylvania is ready for action on climate change,” said Lori Brennan, executive director of The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania and Delaware. “We must seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to make investments in clean energy, clean manufacturing and resilient infrastructure that will benefit our state’s economy, workforce, communities and environment.”

“Families and communities across Pennsylvania are ready for Congress to act for working people,” said BlueGreen Alliance Regional Field Organizer Dan Taylor. “We need a Build Back Better package that supports a clean and equitable future by rebuilding the middle class and creating good-paying jobs.”

Additional key findings include:

• Pennsylvania voters view a number of climate-related policies—from forest restoration (67%) to reducing pollution in disadvantaged communities (64%) to reducing carbon emissions (59%) to helping communities prepare for natural disasters (59%)—as very important.
• Most surveyed say that transitioning to more clean energy and reducing carbon pollution are a good investment of taxpayers’ money.
• On average, four-out-of-five voters view programs aimed at workforce transition for traditional energy workers or workforce development in conservation as important.
• A majority supported making industries, including oil, natural gas, energy and fuel companies, pay a fee based on the amount of carbon pollution they produce as a way to fund the proposal, with 71% finding this somewhat acceptable, and 47% finding this completely acceptable.
• Two-thirds of respondents want their member of Congress to work with the Administration to ensure these policies are acted upon.

“The most important finding we came across is that more than six-in-ten respondents want to see bold action on climate change, even if it requires federal spending in the short-term,” said Brennan. “The message is clear: Pennsylvanians want our legislators to support the Build Back Better Act.”

This press release was produced by The Nature Conservancy. The views expressed here are the author’s own.