The current White House has made every effort to rollback Obama-era environmental protections and rebuff calls to action around climate change, but such moves may not be the will of the administration’s entire Republican base.
A new survey—conducted by Genomatica, an environmentally conscious bioengineering firm—found sustainability is valued on both sides of the aisle, with 70% of Republicans and 80% of Democrats saying sustainability is important. Just more than 60% of Republicans also said burning fossil fuels is a major contributor to climate change, a belief held by 93% of Democrats.
When it came to addressing the use of such fuels in everyday life, however, the divide between the parties widened. Nearly half of Republicans (48%) denied using crude oil to make products is a major contributor to climate change, compared to 22% of Democrats who held this belief.
Part of living sustainably—aside from the usual calls for less energy waste and more public transportation—is being a conscious consumer. Many people, however, don’t know that the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic humans have produced over the years are sourced partially from the distillation of crude oil, a process that can release harmful pollutants into the air and water.
Genomatica’s survey found 34% of the U.S. adults surveyed this summer didn’t know that plastic bags are made from crude oil-based ingredients. More than 40% didn’t realize such ingredients are in face moisturizer, too.
Despite both parties strongly supporting sustainability, the study found Democrats are more likely than Republicans to be bothered by oil-based ingredients in their products. Democrats were also more than twice as likely as Republicans to say it’s extremely important for the U.S. to reduce its oil consumption (41% versus 20%).
Democrats, however, are no more likely to have reduced their oil consumption over the past year, a point likely related to the fact 42% say the responsibility to reduce consumption lies with the government. Just 26% of Republicans held this stance.
More must-read stories from Fortune:
—New York’s rape laws are now some of the toughest in the nation. Here’s why
—These are the 2020 senate races to watch
—Jeff Bezos details Amazon’s net-zero carbon emissions 2040 goal
—A doctor who prescribes abortion pills online is suing the FDA. Is she breaking the law?
—Can Andrew Yang win in 2020? Inside his unorthodox campaign
Get up to speed on your morning commute with Fortune’s CEO Daily newsletter.
