Concern about climate change
Q. Over the last 2 years, have you become more concerned or less concerned about the environmental effects of global warming or do you feel about the same as you did 2 years ago?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Sep 14 |
|
| Total more concerned |
51% |
62% |
38% |
78% |
47% |
52% |
||
| Total less concerned |
9% |
5% |
16% |
3% |
9% |
9% |
||
| Much more concerned |
21% |
31% |
11% |
40% |
16% |
22% |
||
| A little more concerned |
30% |
31% |
27% |
38% |
31% |
30% |
||
| About the same |
35% |
29% |
43% |
17% |
43% |
35% |
||
| A little less concerned |
6% |
4% |
10% |
3% |
6% |
6% |
||
| Much less concerned |
3% |
1% |
6% |
– |
3% |
3% |
||
| Don’t know |
5% |
3% |
3% |
3% |
2% |
4% |
51% say they have become more concerned about the environmental effects of global warming over the last two years and 9% have become less concerned – 35% feel about the same.
These results are very similar to those when this question was asked in September.
Those most likely to have become more concerned were Labor voters (62%), Greens voters (78%) and people with university degrees (62%).
Countries doing enough on climate change
Q. As far as you know, do you think the following countries are doing enough, not enough or too much to address climate change?
|
Doing enough |
Not doing enough |
Doing too much |
Don’t know |
|
| Australia |
26% |
51% |
6% |
16% |
| USA |
17% |
53% |
5% |
25% |
| China |
9% |
63% |
3% |
25% |
51% of respondents think Australia is not doing enough to address climate change – while 53% think the USA is not doing enough and 63% think China is not doing enough. Only 26% think that Australia is doing enough.
Those most likely to think Australia is not doing enough were aged 18-34 (57%), Greens voters (91%), Labor voters (65%) and people with university education (59%).
Right or wrong approach to climate change
Q. Do you think Australia is taking the right or the wrong approach to handling the issue of climate change?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
|
| Taking the right approach |
28% |
13% |
56% |
4% |
25% |
|
| Taking the wrong approach |
42% |
64% |
14% |
91% |
36% |
|
| Don’t know |
30% |
23% |
30% |
6% |
39% |
28% think that Australia is taking the right approach to handling the issue of climate change and 42% think Australia is taking the wrong approach – 30% don’t know.
Those most likely to think Australia is taking the wrong approach were Labor voters (64%), Greens voters (91%), aged under 35 (48%) and university educated (46%).
Extreme events linked to climate change
Q. And do you think that these extreme events – bushfires, floods, cyclones, etc – are likely or unlikely to be linked to climate change?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Likely to be linked to climate change |
76% |
83% |
63% |
96% |
63% |
|
| Unlikely to be linked to climate change |
16% |
10% |
26% |
2% |
24% |
|
| Don’t know |
9% |
6% |
11% |
3% |
14% |
(Based on the 63% – 625 respondents – who think extreme event are more likely.)
Of those who think extreme events are more likely, 76% think they are likely to be linked to climate change and 16% think they are unlikely to be linked to climate change.
83% of Labor voters and 96% of Greens voters think they are likely to be linked to climate change.
Climate change
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?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/ |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Nov 09 |
Dec 10 |
Jun 11 |
Oct 12 |
Oct 13 |
Jan 14 |
Apr 14 |
Jun 14 |
|
| Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity |
56% |
72% |
32% |
92% |
55% |
53% |
45% |
50% |
48% |
52% |
51% |
56% |
53% |
||
| We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate |
30% |
19% |
51% |
4% |
35% |
34% |
36% |
39% |
39% |
36% |
39% |
34% |
35% |
||
| Don’t know |
14% |
9% |
16% |
4% |
10% |
13% |
19% |
12% |
13% |
12% |
11% |
10% |
12% |
56% (up 3% since June) agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity and 30% (down 5%) believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate. This is the equal highest recorded belief in climate change – and the lowest level of disbelief.
By age groups, those aged under 35 split 70%/16% and those aged 55+ split 50%/41%. People with higher education were more likely to think climate change is happening and is caused by human activity – those with university degrees split 69%/20%.
Concern about climate change
Q. Over the last 2 years, have you become more concerned or less concerned about the environmental effects of global warming or do you feel about the same as you did 2 years ago?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Total more concerned |
52% |
61% |
34% |
89% |
52% |
|
| Total less concerned |
9% |
10% |
14% |
2% |
6% |
|
| Much more concerned |
22% |
27% |
11% |
65% |
18% |
|
| A little more concerned |
30% |
34% |
23% |
24% |
34% |
|
| About the same |
35% |
28% |
49% |
7% |
40% |
|
| A little less concerned |
6% |
8% |
8% |
2% |
1% |
|
| Much less concerned |
3% |
2% |
6% |
– |
5% |
|
| Don’t know |
4% |
2% |
3% |
2% |
3% |
52% say they have become more concerned about the environmental effects of global warming over the last two years and 9% have become less concerned – 35% feel about the same.
Those most likely to have become more concerned were Labor voters (61%), Greens voters (89%), aged 18-34 (59%) and people with university degrees (63%).
Action on climate change
Q. Which of the following actions on climate change would you most support?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Incentives for renewable energy |
50% |
52% |
45% |
61% |
59% |
|
| An emissions trading scheme |
12% |
20% |
5% |
24% |
6% |
|
| The Government’s direct action policy |
10% |
10% |
12% |
7% |
14% |
|
| No action required |
11% |
4% |
21% |
– |
13% |
|
| Don’t know |
17% |
14% |
17% |
8% |
8% |
In taking action on climate change, 50% most support incentives for renewable energy, 12% most support an emissions trading scheme and 10% most support the Government‘s direct action policy – while 11% say no action is required.
All groups are most likely to support incentives for renewable energy. Those more likely to support an emissions trading scheme were Greens voters (24%) and Labor voters (20%).
Actions on climate change
Q. Now that the carbon tax has been repealed, which of the following actions on climate change would you most support?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Incentives for renewable energy |
43% |
43% |
38% |
54% |
52% |
|
| An emissions trading scheme |
19% |
30% |
13% |
31% |
8% |
|
| The Government’s direct action policy |
5% |
4% |
7% |
1% |
6% |
|
| No action required |
14% |
7% |
25% |
1% |
13% |
|
| Don’t know |
19% |
18% |
18% |
13% |
21% |
The most favoured action on climate change was incentives for renewable energy (43%). Only 5% preferred the Government’s direct action policy while 19% favoured an emissions trading scheme.
The emissions trading scheme received higher support from Greens voters (31%) and Labor voters (30%).
25% of Liberal/National voters and 19% of those aged 45+ think no action is required.
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