A Yale expert on American and international public opinion on climate change and the environment will receive an Environmental Merit Award from the New England Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, is being recognized for his exceptional work and commitment to the environment in 2011. The annual award, according to the EPA’s regional administrator H. Curtis Spalding, recognizes outstanding environmental advocates who have made significant contributions toward preserving and protecting the nation’s natural resources.

“This award means a lot, not just to me but to our larger team of scientists, staff and supporters that make our work possible,” said Leiserowitz.

Leiserowitz is an expert on public opinion on climate change, including public perceptions of climate change risks, support for and opposition to climate policies, and the public’s willingness to make individual behavioral changes related to climate change and energy use. His research investigates the psychological, cultural, political and geographic factors that shape public environmental perception and behavior.

He has served as a consultant to the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, United Nations Development Program, Gallup World Poll, Global Roundtable on Climate Change at the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the World Economic Forum.

For more information about his work, visit http://environment.yale.edu/climate/.