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The Climate Institute

Climate of the Nation 2014 Are Australians climate dinosaurs?

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“While climate dinosaurs in politics and business roar across our landscape, the

majority of Australians are moving in the opposite direction, backing leadership

on climate change and its solutions.”

John Connor CEO, The Climate Institute

Climate of the Nation 2014 Are Australians climate dinosaurs?

This presentation summarises The Climate Institute’s report, Climate of the Nation 2014, which benchmarks public

attitudes on climate change. The report draws on qualitative (focus groups) research and nationally representative

quantitative (poll) research conducted in May 2014.

Images: Michael Hall, Creative Fellow

of The Climate Institute

June 2014

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Background

Since 2007, The Climate Institute has conducted comprehensive research into Australian attitudes to

climate change and related policies, published via its Climate of the Nation reports.

This year’s report takes the pulse of the nation on climate change, its impacts and solutions in mid 2014. It

compares benchmarked data from similar work in 2012 and 2013.

The 2014 research was carried about just before the new Senate was set to vote on the repeal of the

carbon laws. It showed that while some ‘dinosaurs’ in business and politics were looking to turn back the

clock, the majority of Australians wanted to see stronger action on climate change. The report was

launched at the same time as The Climate Institute’s campaign – Stop The Dinosaurs – urging people to

help save the laws that are already driving pollution down and growing renewable energy.

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Key Findings

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• Research into Australian attitudes about climate

change and its solutions highlights that 2012 – when

the carbon laws were introduced and the political

debate was most toxic – was a low point and that

attitudes have been rebounding across a range of

indicators since then.

• In May 2014, a much stronger majority of Australians

(70 per cent) accept that climate change is occurring,

up 6 points from 2012. Most of those who agree that

climate change is occurring say that this is at least

partly caused by humans (84 per cent).

Attitudes

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Attitudes

• Importantly, almost all of those who

accept that climate change is occurring

– 89 per cent – perceive that Australia is

feeling the impacts now.

• More Australians than ever recorded by

Climate of the Nation research now say

that they trust the science of climate

change. A majority of 51 per cent now

hold this view, up 5 points from 2012.

• For the first time since the question was

first asked in 2012, more disagree that

the seriousness of climate change is

exaggerated than agree. Today 41 per

cent disagree that the seriousness of

climate change is exaggerated, while 36

per cent still agree with the statement.

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Concerns

Australians are sensitive

to the impacts of climate

change that link extreme

weather with threats to

economic and personal

security.

Key among these

concerns are the impact

of climate change on food

security and increases in

the cost of living

stemming from extreme

weather events.

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Responsibility

Australians ranked the federal

government (56%) as having the

most responsibility to take a leading

role in addressing climate change.

But while the federal government is

seen as most responsible for action,

views on its performance are

significantly lower than a year ago,

at net good minus poor differential

of -18, compared to -1.

Australians are deeply cynical about

both parties’ approach to climate

change, but are particularly

mistrusting of Tony Abbott’s attitude.

Some 57 per cent think that the

Abbott government should take

climate change more seriously.

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Australians don’t hold much hope that

either side of politics has an effective

climate plan, with 26 per cent thinking

the alp does compared to just 19 per

cent believing that the coalition does.

These results are the same as last year.

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Leadership

Australians, particularly women and younger people, increasingly want the nation to be a

leader in climate solutions (61 per cent). This is the highest level of support since the highs

of 20083 and the second consecutive year the number has risen.

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Solutions

While almost two-thirds (64 per cent) agree

that ignoring climate change is simply not

an answer, as it increases the risk of the

situation getting worse, Australians are still

to be convinced of the solutions on offer.

Yet for the first time, more Australians

support the carbon pricing laws than

oppose them. Over a third (34 per cent)

support the laws, which is up 6 points from

2012.

Support for carbon pricing has improved

over the last two years, mostly driven by a

realisation that the policy has not been as

detrimental to the economy or to household

finances as had been feared.

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Solutions Views on carbon pricing

+ While support for carbon

pricing is not strong,

opposition has

diminished significantly.

There is a willingness to

give carbon pricing a go.

+ The proportion of

Australians who strongly

disagree with the

statement “I support the

carbon pricing laws” has

dropped to 20 per cent,

down from 30 per cent in

2012, but only 28 per

cent agree with the

statement.

While not fully convinced of the current

carbon laws’ effectiveness, more

Australians prefer to keep it over replacing

it with the government’s proposed “Direct

Action” policy (26 per cent compared to 20

per cent), but a majority chose neither.

Only 22% see “Direct Action” as a

credible policy that can achieve at least

a 5% reduction in emissions by 2020.

Men are slightly more positive about the

policy than women, at 26% vs 17%.

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No referendum for repeal

This research reaffirms that attempts by some to

characterise the 2014 election as a “referendum on the

carbon tax” have little substance. Election Day exit

polling found that climate change and the “carbon tax”

were the lowest priority issues for voters, with only 5 per

cent and 3 per cent selecting them as priority issues,

respectively. These issues were eclipsed completely by

concerns about the economy (31 per cent) and cost of

living (15 per cent).

While the poll found that 34 per cent agree with repeal,

27 per cent do not want repeal, and a larger group - 38

per cent – are on the fence and said neither (22 per

cent) or don’t know (16 per cent). If people understood

that the carbon tax evolves to an emissions trading

scheme in July 2015, support would likely be higher (as

was the case in 2010 polling conducted by Nielsen).

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Renewables

While Australians remain confused about the

carbon pricing laws and are unsure of the

proposed replacement policies, over two-thirds

agree that tackling climate change creates new

opportunities in renewable energy.

Solar, wind and hydro have topped the charts as

ideal energy options for three years now. Coal,

nuclear and gas continue to be least supported.

Given direct planning law changes to the

contrary and Treasurer Hockey’s comments that

he finds wind farms “utterly offensive”, a

substantial majority of Australians (76 per cent)

agree “state governments should be putting in

place incentives for more renewable energy such

as wind farms.”

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Doing my bit

• Australians look to governments and business for

leadership on climate change but they also believe that

the response to climate change starts at home.

• Australians feel a personal responsibility - “doing my

bit” - when it comes to contributing to climate change

action. 65% believe that individuals can contribute to

addressing climate change.

• In terms of the most effective personal actions,

Australians rank planting trees and insulating their

homes as the most effective. These actions were

followed in popularity by installing solar panels and

recycling.

Putting the ‘I’ in climate change

of Australians want the

Renewable Energy Target

to be at least 20 per cent,

with 60 per cent wanting it

to be higher, and only 11

per cent who want exactly

20 per cent.

71%

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Demographics

Younger Australians are most likely to agree that

Australia is experiencing the impact of climate change.

Among those who think that climate change is occurring,

92 per cent of 18 to 34 year olds and 91 per cent of 35 to

54 year olds believe we are experiencing the impact,

compared to 83 per cent of 55+ year olds.

Older Australians are also most likely to agree that there

are too many conflicting opinions for the public to be sure

about claims made around climate change – 62 per cent

compared to 49 per cent of 35 to 54 year olds and 52 per

cent of 18 to 34 year olds.

Men are significantly more likely

to agree that the seriousness of

climate change is exaggerated (42

per cent compared to 29 per cent

of women).

More women than men agree that

Australia should be a world leader in finding

solutions to climate change (64 per cent

compared to 58 per cent of men).

City dwellers are more likely to think

that carbon pricing is helping to reduce

Australia's carbon emissions (36 per

cent compared to 30 per cent in

regional and rural areas).

Regional residents are more likely to agree that state

governments should be putting in place incentives for

more renewable energy, such as wind farms (79 per

cent compared to 74 per cent of metropolitan residents).

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What portion of our

energy should we

get from renewable

sources by 2020?

Vox Pops

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In mid-June, we asked some 40 people around Sydney whether they thought that humans were

contributing to climate change. These were their responses. Videos documenting their views in full can

be viewed at vimeo.com/TheClimateInstitute

Vox Pops

What’s Australia’s position when it comes

to climate change? When it comes to energy, what are the

jobs of the future?

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climate-of-the-nation-2014.html

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Stop The Dinosaurs

Visit www.stopthedinosaurs.org.au

The dinosaurs in business

and politics are looking to kill

the carbon and renewable

energy laws - laws that are

driving down pollution and

growing renewable energy

like wind and solar. Help us

stop the dinosaurs, before it’s

too late.

Because if the dinosaurs

win, we all lose.

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