Australians say renewable energy is top environmental issue – Ipsos Climate Change Survey

2017 IPSOS Climate Change Report

More than half of Australians think renewable energy is the biggest issue facing government. Only 3 per cent think climate change  does not exist. Almost two-thirds think climate change is a serious threat over the next 100 years according to a recently released Climate Change survey.

These are the findings of the 2017 Climate Change Report. The Ipsos Social Research Institute asked over 1,000 Australians about key issues. These include renewable energy and climate change.

Once again, renewable energy is the top environmental issue Australians would act on if they were in government according to the climate change survey.

Priorities of environmental action

3 per cent of Australians deny climate change
3 per cent of Australians deny climate change

More than half (56%) see renewable energy as an issue they would think of addressing. Most Australians have seen renewable energy such as solar as an issue for action every year since the climate change poll began in 2007.

Compared with 2016, there has been no movement in the top 6 issues of importance. Water and river health (49%) came in at number two. This is its highest rating for action since 2012 (when it was 52%).

Australians in regional areas are more likely to identify renewable energy as an issue for action. This compares with those in capital cities (62% ‘rest of Australia’ vs 53% capital city residents). Water and river health follow the same pattern (58% vs 44%) and deforestation (51% vs 42%).

Climate Change & its causes

Australians’ views of the causes of climate change have moved little in the past decade. This stasis has continued in 2017.

Only 3% of Australians think there is no such thing as climate change. Around one-in-ten (12%) believe natural processes cause climate change. Under a half (42%) believe that human activity is mainly or entirely responsible for climate change and 38% believe humans and partly natural processes cause climate change.

What will be the effects of climate change?

Most Australians think that climate change is already happening (62% either strongly or somewhat agree). More than half (54%) agree that it is  a major threat over the next 25 years. This increases to 64% agreement when considering the next 100 years.

But do we understand it? Half of Australians think they understand the causes and possible impacts of climate change. Fifty per cent think there are too many different opinions for the public to be confident about claims made about climate change.

As most Australians live close to the coast, this makes them especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change (including sea level rises, storm surges and droughts). Between a quarter (24%) and half (48%) believe that climate change is already having an impact.

Who is responsible for dealing with climate change?

climate change survey: Governments should do more on the environment says new report
Governments should do more on the environment says new report

As in previous years, Australians are most likely to think that the Federal Government carries the responsibility for action on climate change. Forty one per cent identified  it as a Federal Government responsibility.

The 2017 data was collected shortly after Prime Minister Turnbull announced the decision to adopt a National Energy Guarantee (NEG) instead of the Clean Energy Target (CET) recommended by Chief Scientist Alan Finkel.

Support is highest for a Federal Government-set national target for the portion of energy generated from renewable sources. Whilst 69% support this idea, 32 per cent strongly support and 36 per cent tend to support, 15 per cent (either tend to or strongly) opposed it.

State and territories setting targets

There are also high levels of support for states and territories setting their own targets for the proportion of energy generated by renewable sources, as long as they are higher than a minimum set by the Federal Government.

More than half of Australians (53 per cent) in the climate change survey support this concept, while a quarter oppose it.

There was less support for the idea of states and territories setting their own targets for the proportion of energy generated from renewable sources. This is if there was no warning about a national target. For this situation, support and opposition was more balanced (43% and 38% respectively).

Climate change survey report summary: it is a federal issue

Despite a recent move towards global consensus on climate change action, the views of Australians have remained relatively stable. That climate change is caused by human activities is not disputed by the majority of the public. But those who oppose this idea remain a significant minority.

There is still substantial confusion about some aspects of climate change causes and impacts. There is a risk that Australians will become less interested unless they feel reassured (through community organisations or the government) that there is progress.

Australians see the Federal Government as mainly responsible for action on climate change and furthermore, are supportive of the Federal Government setting a national target for the proportion of energy generated from renewable sources.

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