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Relative concern for the climate change
Q. Considering everything which has happened so far this year, are you now more or less concerned about the impact of climate change than you were a year ago?
| Gender | Age Group | Location | |||||||
| Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Capital | Non-Capital | ||
| More concerned about the impact of climate change | 31% | 32% | 30% | 41% | 27% | 27% | 34% | 25% | |
| No more or less concerned about the impact of climate change | 53% | 49% | 56% | 45% | 56% | 56% | 50% | 58% | |
| Less concerned about the impact of climate change | 16% | 19% | 14% | 14% | 17% | 17% | 16% | 17% | |
| Base (n) | 1,086 | 539 | 547 | 341 | 362 | 383 | 727 | 359 | |
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?
| Mar’20 | Nov’19 | Mar’19 | Dec’18 | Oct’18 | Sep’17 | Aug’16 | |
| Doing enough | 23% | 22% | 27% | 24% | 23% | 20% | 22% |
| Not doing enough | 55% | 60% | 51% | 53% | 56% | 56% | 52% |
| Doing too much | 9% | 8% | 11% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 8% |
| Don’t know | 13% | 10% | 12% | 14% | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Base (n) | 1,086 | 1,083 | 1,089 | 1,032 | 1,027 | 1,011 | 1,022 |
| Gender | Age Group | Voting Intention | |||||||||
| Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | ||
| Doing enough | 23% | 26% | 21% | 19% | 24% | 26% | 18% | 36% | 8% | 20% | |
| Not doing enough | 55% | 51% | 59% | 63% | 54% | 49% | 66% | 37% | 86% | 52% | |
| Doing too much | 9% | 12% | 5% | 7% | 6% | 13% | 5% | 13% | 2% | 15% | |
| Don’t know | 13% | 11% | 16% | 12% | 15% | 12% | 11% | 14% | 4% | 14% | |
| Base (n) | 1,086 | 539 | 547 | 341 | 362 | 383 | 328 | 372 | 95 | 146 | |
Support for zero-carbon pollution target for 2050
Q. To what extent would you support or oppose setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2050 if it were adopted by the Federal Government?
| Federal Voting Intention (Lower House) | Jan’20 | |||||
| Total | Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | ||
| Strongly support | 31% | 38% | 22% | 59% | 19% | 32% |
| Somewhat support | 44% | 42% | 46% | 33% | 44% | 39% |
| Somewhat oppose | 15% | 13% | 17% | 6% | 17% | 18% |
| Strongly oppose | 11% | 7% | 15% | 2% | 20% | 12% |
| NET: Support | 75% | 80% | 68% | 91% | 63% | 71% |
| NET: Oppose | 25% | 20% | 32% | 9% | 37% | 29% |
| Base (n) | 1,090 | 336 | 390 | 104 | 146 | 1,080 |
- 75% of participants support setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2050 if it were adopted by the Federal Government, up from 71% in January.
- The majority of all party voter support the introduction of targets. 91% of Greens voters, 80% of Labor and 68% of Coalition party voters all support the introduction of targets.
- Women (79%), capital city residents (77%) and Greens voters (91%) are most likely to support this initiative.
- Men (70%), non-capital city residents (70%) and independent/other party voters (63%) are least likely to support this initiative.
Climate Change Policy Proposals
Q. To what extent would you support or oppose the following policy proposals if they were adopted by the Federal Government?
| NET: Support | NET: Oppose | Strongly support | Somewhat support | Somewhat oppose | Strongly oppose | |
| Accelerate development of new industries and jobs that are powered by renewable energy | 81% | 19% | 41% | 40% | 12% | 7% |
| Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2050 | 71% | 29% | 32% | 39% | 18% | 12% |
| Requiring mining companies to fund bushfire hazard reduction | 68% | 32% | 25% | 43% | 21% | 11% |
| Remove taxpayer funded subsidies to the fossil fuel industry | 68% | 32% | 30% | 38% | 22% | 11% |
| Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2030 | 64% | 36% | 26% | 38% | 21% | 15% |
| Ban all political donations from fossil fuel companies | 62% | 38% | 28% | 34% | 25% | 13% |
| Prevention of new coal mines opening in Australia | 62% | 38% | 27% | 35% | 23% | 16% |
| Voting Intention | |||||
| NET: SUPPORT | Total | Labor | Liberal + National | Greens | NET: Other |
| Accelerate development of new industries and jobs that are powered by renewable energy | 81% | 86% | 75% | 87% | 77% |
| Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2050 | 71% | 81% | 56% | 89% | 62% |
| Requiring mining companies to fund bushfire hazard reduction | 68% | 78% | 54% | 76% | 68% |
| Remove taxpayer funded subsidies to the fossil fuel industry | 68% | 77% | 56% | 83% | 64% |
| Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2030 | 64% | 77% | 47% | 87% | 52% |
| Ban all political donations from fossil fuel companies | 62% | 72% | 48% | 79% | 57% |
| Prevention of new coal mines opening in Australia | 62% | 70% | 48% | 84% | 51% |
| Base (n) | 1,080 | 351 | 342 | 110 | 156 |
- 81% of participants support the accelerated development of new industries and jobs that are powered by renewable energy and 71% support a zero-carbon pollution target to be set for 2050.
- Support for all policies was higher among Labor and greens voters, and lower among Coalition.
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%).
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