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  • Dec, 2020

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    Support for government action on climate change

    Q. To what extent would you support or oppose the following policy proposals if they were adopted by the Federal Government?

    TOTAL: Support Nov’20 Jan’20
    Requiring mining companies to fund bushfire hazard reduction 80% 68%
    Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2030 75% 64%
    Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2050 81% 71%
    Ban all political donations from fossil fuel companies 72% 62%
    Accelerate development of new industries and jobs that are powered by renewable energy 87% 81%
    New coal mines opening in Australia 49% –
    The fossil fuel industry receiving taxpayer funded subsidies 42% –
    • Support for government action on climate change has increased since earlier this year across the policy proposals put forward.
      TOTAL: Support TOTAL: Oppose Strongly support Somewhat support Somewhat oppose Strongly oppose
    Requiring mining companies to fund bushfire hazard reduction 80% 20% 31% 49% 15% 5%
    Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2030 75% 25% 35% 40% 16% 8%
    Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2050 81% 19% 36% 44% 13% 7%
    Ban all political donations from fossil fuel companies 72% 28% 30% 42% 21% 7%
    Accelerate development of new industries and jobs that are powered by renewable energy 87% 13% 44% 43% 9% 4%
    New coal mines opening in Australia 49% 51% 15% 34% 27% 24%
    The fossil fuel industry receiving taxpayer funded subsidies 42% 58% 11% 31% 34% 24%
    • 87% would support accelerating development of new industries and jobs that are powered by renewable energy and 80% would support requiring mining companies to fund bushfire hazard reduction.
    • 81% would support setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2050 and 75% would support setting this target for 2030.
    • The most contentious issues are new coal mines opening in Australia (49% support vs 51% oppose) and the fossil fuel industry receiving taxpayer funded subsidies (42% support vs 58% oppose), where we see more of a divide between support and opposition compared to other policy proposals.
    TOTAL: Support Total Gender Age Group Federal Voting Intention
    Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ Labor TOTAL: Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other
    Requiring mining companies to fund bushfire hazard reduction 80% 75% 85% 76% 83% 80% 82% 79% 88% 77%
    Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2030 75% 69% 81% 74% 81% 72% 82% 67% 93% 74%
    Setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2050 81% 78% 83% 81% 84% 77% 88% 75% 88% 72%
    Ban all political donations from fossil fuel companies 72% 71% 73% 71% 78% 67% 74% 65% 87% 75%
    Accelerate development of new industries and jobs that are powered by renewable energy 87% 84% 89% 81% 88% 91% 88% 87% 92% 82%
    New coal mines opening in Australia 49% 56% 42% 53% 54% 41% 43% 57% 23% 52%
    The fossil fuel industry receiving taxpayer funded subsidies 42% 43% 40% 48% 48% 29% 41% 44% 23% 40%
    Base (n) 1,034 528 506 329 320 385 322 430 88 107
    • Support for government action on climate change is higher among women compared to men, especially regarding setting a zero-carbon pollution target for 2030 (81% to 69%) and requiring mining companies to fund bushfire hazard reduction (85% to 75%). Women are less likely than men to support the opening of new coal mines (49% to 56%).
    • Coalition voters have the highest support for opening new coal mines (57% compared to 52% minor party voters, 43% Labor voters and 23% Greens voters).
  • Mar, 2020

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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
  • Mar, 2020

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    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

     

  • Feb, 2020

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    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.
  • Jan, 2020

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    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.
  • Nov, 2019

    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.
  • Nov, 2019

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    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%).
  • Nov, 2019

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    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%).
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