New polling numbers show that 52% of voters trust congressional Democrats more than Republicans to handle environmental issues, while 45% trust Democrats more than the GOP on energy, according to Morning Consult/Politico.

The big picture: 2020 Democrats face rising pressure to address climate change on the debate stage, and could have an edge in voter trust — but if they want to keep that edge, they'll need to figure out how to address the issue the right way.

According to Ryan Clancy, Joe Biden's former speechwriter and chief strategist at the bipartisan policy group No Labels, a winning candidate will show voters a realistic climate change solution "without a radical societal or economic disruption" and go beyond “extreme binary choices."

The other side: “I don’t think that Ocasio is a one-off,” Republican strategist Susan Del Percio said, referencing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and her wide-reaching and progressive Green New Deal resolution — which envisions a massively expanded federal role in emissions-cutting.

The bottom line: 44% of voters consider climate change "a critical threat to the vital interests" of the U.S. in the next 10 years, Morning Consult found.

A CNN poll from last month found that climate change is solidly in the top of Democratic primary voters' issues for 2020.

Two-thirds of Democrats say climate change poses a critical threat, compared to 1 in 5 Republicans, according to Morning Consult.

Go deeper: The Green New Deal is fueling a wild Democratic policy primary