How the right language can convince skeptics to support corporate climate action

A new survey of 2,000 U.S. voters found more agreement on climate issues than the usual political divide suggests. About three-quarters of all respondents said companies have a responsibility to limit their impact on climate and the environment, and more than two-thirds of Republicans agreed too. More than 60 percent said they'd be more likely to buy from companies that use more clean energy or cut carbon pollution, and most voters, including a majority of Republicans, called it "wrong" or "opportunistic" for companies to backtrack on climate commitments under government pressure.

The survey, from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and communications firm maslansky + partners, also looked at which words work. Framing climate action as "advancing responsible, long-term energy solutions" won far more support than jargon like "accelerating the net-zero transition." Most voters, including climate-skeptical Republicans, agreed that reducing climate impact makes sense as smart, long-term business planning rather than a political statement. Fewer than half saw a company's clean-energy commitment as a political stand at all.

There's a catch: voters increasingly see these same actions as political over time. The share of Democrats who called a company's move away from fossil fuels "political" rose from 40 percent in 2024 to 55 percent in 2025. This news doesn't change anything about your own home or upgrades directly, but it's a sign that clean-energy products and services may keep expanding as companies find broader public support for offering them.