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Climate change acceptance
Q. Do you believe that there is fairly conclusive evidence that climate change is happening and caused by human activity or do you believe that the evidence is still not in and we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate which happens from time to time?
Jan’21 | Jan’20 | Nov’19 | Mar’19 | Oct’18 | Sep’17 | Aug’16 | |
Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity | 58% | 56% | 61% | 62% | 63% | 64% | 57% |
We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate | 32% | 32% | 28% | 27% | 25% | 24% | 26% |
Don’t know | 10% | 13% | 11% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 17% |
Base (n) | 1,084 | 1,081 | 1,083 | 1,089 | 1,027 | 1,011 | 1,022 |
- There has been little shift in attitudes to the acceptance of climate change over recent years. Over half of people (58%) believe climate change is happening and is caused by human activity.
- Over a third still believe we are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate (32%) and 10% aren’t sure which they believe.
Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||||
Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity | 58% | 54% | 61% | 62% | 58% | 54% | 67% | 50% | 78% | 45% | ||
We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate | 32% | 36% | 28% | 24% | 31% | 40% | 24% | 43% | 17% | 44% | ||
Don’t know | 10% | 9% | 11% | 15% | 11% | 6% | 9% | 7% | 5% | 11% | ||
Base (n) | 1,084 | 539 | 545 | 341 | 358 | 385 | 334 | 431 | 118 | 106 | ||
- Acceptance that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity is high across all voters, but highest among Greens voters (78%) and Labor voters (67%), followed by Coalition voters (50%) and other voters (45%).
- Climate change denial is highest among Coalition voters (43%), those over 55 (40%) and men (36%), whom are the most likely to believe we are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate.

COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
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Two Party Preferred:
Labor
47%
Coalition
44%
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Federal government response to Covid-19
- State government response to Covid-19
- Better leadership during Covid-19 – PM vs state leader
- Attitudes towards Craig Kelly controversy and Scott Morrison’s leadership
- Views towards federal vs state government responsibility to manage Covid-19 hotel quarantine system
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