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?
| Nov’19 | Mar’19 | Oct’18 | Sep’17 | Aug’16 | |
| Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity | 61% | 62% | 63% | 64% | 57% |
| We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate | 28% | 27% | 25% | 24% | 26% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 17% |
| Base (n) | 1,083 | 1,089 | 1,027 | 1,011 | 1,022 |
| Total | Gender | Age | Voting Intention | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | ||
| Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity | 61% | 59% | 63% | 74% | 61% | 50% | 74% | 47% | 89% | 44% |
| We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate | 28% | 32% | 25% | 18% | 25% | 41% | 16% | 43% | 1% | 48% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 9% | 12% | 8% | 15% | 9% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 7% |
| Base (n) | 1,083 | 527 | 556 | 329 | 369 | 385 | 342 | 373 | 93 | 162 |
61% believe that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity. This is consistent with previous results in Mar’19 (62%) and Oct’18 (63%).
- 28% believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate, no change from earlier in the year (27% in March).
- By age groups, those aged 18-34 were most likely to believe in man-made climate change (74%) and those over 55+ least so (50%).
- Less than half of Coalition votes (47%) believe that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity.
Addressing Climate Change
Q. As far as you know, do you think Australia is doing enough, not enough or too much to address climate change?
| Nov’19 | Mar’19 | Dec’18 | Oct’18 | Sep’17 | Aug’16 | |
| Not doing enough | 60% | 51% | 53% | 56% | 56% | 52% |
| Doing enough | 22% | 27% | 24% | 23% | 20% | 22% |
| Doing too much | 8% | 11% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 8% |
| Don’t know | 10% | 12% | 14% | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Base (n) | 1,083 | 1,089 | 1,032 | 1,027 | 1,011 | 1,022 |
| Total | Gender | Age | Voting Intention | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | ||
| Not doing enough | 60% | 57% | 63% | 69% | 59% | 53% | 72% | 46% | 87% | 48% |
| Doing enough | 22% | 24% | 20% | 19% | 19% | 28% | 13% | 35% | 3% | 27% |
| Doing too much | 8% | 11% | 6% | 5% | 9% | 11% | 5% | 12% | 1% | 17% |
| Don’t know | 10% | 8% | 12% | 8% | 13% | 9% | 10% | 8% | 9% | 8% |
| Base (n) | 1,083 | 527 | 556 | 329 | 369 | 385 | 342 | 373 | 93 | 162 |
- 60% now think Australia is not doing enough to address climate change, this has increased from 51% in March 2019.
- Those people most likely to think Australia was not doing enough include young people aged 18-34 (69%), Greens voters (87%) and Labor voters (72%).
Climate change and bushfires
Q. Thinking about the bushfires in Queensland and New South Wales, which of the following statements is closest to your view?
| Nov’19 | Oct’13 | |
| It is likely that the bushfires are linked to climate change and it is appropriate to publicly raise this issue | 43% | 27% |
| It is likely that the bushfires are linked to climate change but it is inappropriate to publicly raise this issue at this this time | 17% | 14% |
| It is unlikely the bushfires are linked to climate change | 30% | 48% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 11% |
| Base (n) | 1,083 | 1,075 |
| Total | Gender | Age | Voting Intention | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | ||
| It is likely that the bushfires are linked to climate change and it is appropriate to publicly raise this issue | 43% | 39% | 46% | 54% | 41% | 35% | 53% | 31% | 73% | 30% |
| It is likely that the bushfires are linked to climate change but it is inappropriate to publicly raise this issue at this this time | 17% | 22% | 12% | 22% | 17% | 13% | 19% | 20% | 7% | 13% |
| It is unlikely the bushfires are linked to climate change | 30% | 29% | 30% | 15% | 29% | 43% | 19% | 40% | 6% | 50% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 9% | 12% | 9% | 13% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 13% | 7% |
| Base (n) | 1,083 | 527 | 556 | 329 | 369 | 385 | 342 | 373 | 93 | 162 |
- 43% now think It likely that the bushfires are linked to climate change and it is appropriate to publicly raise this issue. When this question was last asked in 2013, 27% gave this answer.
- The proportion of people who think it is likely that the bushfires are linked to climate change but it is inappropriate to publicly raise this issue at this this time has remained fairly constant. 17% saying this in 2019, and 14% in 2013.
- Those least likely to think bushfires are linked to climate change and it is appropriate to publicly raise this issue are Coalition (31%) and other minor party and independent voters (31%).
Doing enough to address climate change
Q. As far as you know, do you think Australia is doing enough, not enough or too much to address climate change?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | ||
| Doing enough | 24% | 16% | 42% | 4% | 16% | |
| Not doing enough | 53% | 69% | 35% | 91% | 61% | |
| Doing too much | 7% | 4% | 8% | 3% | 13% | |
| Don’t know | 16% | 11% | 16% | 3% | 10% |
53% think Australia is not doing enough to address climate change and 24% think Australia is doing enough.
Those most likely to think Australia is not dong enough were aged 18-34 (63%) and university educated (62%).
Biggest threats to the world
Q. Which of the following international issues represents the biggest threat to the world? And which is the second biggest threat?
| Total | Biggest threat | Second biggest threat | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | ||
| Terrorism | 61% | 43% | 18% | 61% | 71% | 35% | 57% | |
| Global economic instability | 51% | 23% | 28% | 50% | 52% | 50% | 54% | |
| Climate change | 38% | 21% | 17% | 47% | 21% | 68% | 36% | |
| Fighting in the Middle East | 23% | 6% | 17% | 17% | 27% | 21% | 29% | |
| Chinese economic slowdown | 12% | 4% | 8% | 12% | 13% | 4% | 12% | |
| Tensions between Russia and its neighbours | 8% | 2% | 6% | 6% | 10% | 8% | 9% | |
| Tensions between China and its neighbours | 7% | 1% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 14% | 3% |
61% think that terrorism is one of the two biggest threats to the world and 51% nominated global economic instability as one of the biggest threats.
38% think climate change is one of the two biggest threats.
Labor and Liberal/National voters nominated terrorism and global economic instability as the biggest threats while Greens voters were more likely to think climate change was a bigger threat (68%). Only 21% of Liberal/National voters think climate change is one of the two biggest threats.
Biggest threats to Australia
Q. Which of the following international issues represents the biggest threat to Australia? And which is the second biggest threat?
| Total | Biggest threat | Second biggest threat | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | Vote Other | ||
| Global economic instability | 55% | 25% | 30% | 51% | 58% | 59% | 55% | |
| Terrorism | 47% | 26% | 21% | 48% | 54% | 21% | 46% | |
| Climate change | 38% | 22% | 16% | 47% | 18% | 72% | 31% | |
| Chinese economic slowdown | 36% | 20% | 16% | 31% | 44% | 27% | 36% | |
| Fighting in the Middle East | 12% | 3% | 9% | 10% | 13% | 9% | 15% | |
| Tensions between China and its neighbours | 9% | 4% | 5% | 11% | 8% | 8% | 13% | |
| Tensions between Russia and its neighbours | 3% | 1% | 2% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 5% |
55% think that global economic instability is one of the two biggest threats to Australia and 47% nominated terrorism as one of the biggest threats.
38% think climate change is one of the two biggest threats and 36% nominated the Chinese economic slowdown.
Labor voters think global economic instability, terrorism and climate change represent similar levels of threat while Liberal/National voters were more likely to think the Chinese economic slowdown was a threat. Only 18% of Liberal/National voters thought climate change was one of the two biggest threats to Australia.
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 Lab | Vote Lib/ Nat | Vote GRN | Vote other | Nov 2009 | Dec 2010 | Jun 2011 | Oct 2012 | Oct 2013 | Dec 2014 | Mar 2015 | |||
| Climate change is happening and is caused by human activity | 56% | 70% | 40% | 95% | 43% | 53% | 45% | 50% | 48% | 52% | 57% | 54% | ||
| We are just witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate | 31% | 20% | 50% | 5% | 42% | 34% | 36% | 39% | 39% | 36% | 29% | 31% | ||
| Don’t know | 12% | 10% | 10% | – | 15% | 13% | 19% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 14% | 15% |
56% (up 2% since March) agree that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity and 31% (no change) believe that we may just be witnessing a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate. This is the second highest belief in climate change recorded over the last 6 years.
By age groups, those aged under 35 split 63%/21% and those aged 55+ split 47%/45%. People with higher education were more likely to think climate change is happening and is caused by human activity – those with university degrees split 68%/22%.
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 | Doing enough
Dec 2014 |
Not doing enough Dec 2014 | ||
| Australia | 28% | 53% | 6% | 14% | 26% | 51% | |
| USA | 18% | 57% | 3% | 23% | 17% | 53% | |
| China | 11% | 69% | 1% | 19% | 9% | 63% |
53% of respondents think Australia is not doing enough to address climate change – while 57% think the USA is not doing enough and 69% think China is not doing enough. Only 28% think that Australia is doing enough.
Those most likely to think Australia is not doing enough were aged 18-34 (60%), Greens voters (95%), Labor voters (69%) and people with university education (65%).
Essential Report
Two Party Preferred: 14 May 2019
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