Are Australians climate dinosaurs? Climate of the Nation 2014, benchmarking Australian attitudes to climate change, finds that political leaders risk being stuck in the past as public attitudes on climate change and its solutions are on the rebound. In mid-2014, more Australians think that climate change is occurring and are concerned about impacts, present and future. There is a rebound in desire to see the nation lead on finding solutions and a strong expectation of government to address the climate challenge. Opposition to carbon pricing has continued to decline and there is a decline in the minority supporting repeal. For the first time more support carbon pricing than oppose it, even though there is lingering confusion around it. For more information, visit www.climateinstitute.org.au/climate-of-the-nation-2014.html

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The
Climate
Institute
Climate of the Nation 2014
Are Australians climate dinosaurs?

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“While climate dinosaurs in politics and business roar across our landscape, the
majority of Australians are moving in the opposite direction, backing leadership
on climate change and its solutions.”
John Connor
CEO, The Climate Institute
Climate of the Nation 2014
Are Australians climate dinosaurs?
This presentation summarises The Climate Institute’s report, Climate of the Nation 2014, which benchmarks public
attitudes on climate change. The report draws on qualitative (focus groups) research and nationally representative
quantitative (poll) research conducted in May 2014.
Images: Michael Hall, Creative Fellow
of The Climate Institute
June 2014

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Background
Since 2007, The Climate Institute has conducted comprehensive research into Australian attitudes to
climate change and related policies, published via its Climate of the Nation reports.
This year’s report takes the pulse of the nation on climate change, its impacts and solutions in mid 2014. It
compares benchmarked data from similar work in 2012 and 2013.
The 2014 research was carried about just before the new Senate was set to vote on the repeal of the
carbon laws. It showed that while some ‘dinosaurs’ in business and politics were looking to turn back the
clock, the majority of Australians wanted to see stronger action on climate change. The report was
launched at the same time as The Climate Institute’s campaign – Stop The Dinosaurs – urging people to
help save the laws that are already driving pollution down and growing renewable energy.

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Key Findings

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• Research into Australian attitudes about climate
change and its solutions highlights that 2012 – when
the carbon laws were introduced and the political
debate was most toxic – was a low point and that
attitudes have been rebounding across a range of
indicators since then.
• In May 2014, a much stronger majority of Australians
(70 per cent) accept that climate change is occurring,
up 6 points from 2012. Most of those who agree that
climate change is occurring say that this is at least
partly caused by humans (84 per cent).
Attitudes

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Attitudes
• Importantly, almost all of those who
accept that climate change is occurring
– 89 per cent – perceive that Australia is
feeling the impacts now.
• More Australians than ever recorded by
Climate of the Nation research now say
that they trust the science of climate
change. A majority of 51 per cent now
hold this view, up 5 points from 2012.
• For the first time since the question was
first asked in 2012, more disagree that
the seriousness of climate change is
exaggerated than agree. Today 41 per
cent disagree that the seriousness of
climate change is exaggerated, while 36
per cent still agree with the statement.

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Concerns
Australians are sensitive
to the impacts of climate
change that link extreme
weather with threats to
economic and personal
security.
Key among these
concerns are the impact
of climate change on food
security and increases in
the cost of living
stemming from extreme
weather events.

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Responsibility
Australians ranked the federal
government (56%) as having the
most responsibility to take a leading
role in addressing climate change.
But while the federal government is
seen as most responsible for action,
views on its performance are
significantly lower than a year ago,
at net good minus poor differential
of -18, compared to -1.
Australians are deeply cynical about
both parties’ approach to climate
change, but are particularly
mistrusting of Tony Abbott’s attitude.
Some 57 per cent think that the
Abbott government should take
climate change more seriously.

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Australians don’t hold much hope that
either side of politics has an effective
climate plan, with 26 per cent thinking
the alp does compared to just 19 per
cent believing that the coalition does.
These results are the same as last year.

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Leadership
Australians, particularly women and younger people, increasingly want the nation to be a
leader in climate solutions (61 per cent). This is the highest level of support since the highs
of 20083 and the second consecutive year the number has risen.

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Solutions
While almost two-thirds (64 per cent) agree
that ignoring climate change is simply not
an answer, as it increases the risk of the
situation getting worse, Australians are still
to be convinced of the solutions on offer.
Yet for the first time, more Australians
support the carbon pricing laws than
oppose them. Over a third (34 per cent)
support the laws, which is up 6 points from
2012.
Support for carbon pricing has improved
over the last two years, mostly driven by a
realisation that the policy has not been as
detrimental to the economy or to household
finances as had been feared.

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Solutions
Views on carbon pricing
+ While support for carbon
pricing is not strong,
opposition has
diminished significantly.
There is a willingness to
give carbon pricing a go.
+ The proportion of
Australians who strongly
disagree with the
statement “I support the
carbon pricing laws” has
dropped to 20 per cent,
down from 30 per cent in
2012, but only 28 per
cent agree with the
statement.
While not fully convinced of the current
carbon laws’ effectiveness, more
Australians prefer to keep it over replacing
it with the government’s proposed “Direct
Action” policy (26 per cent compared to 20
per cent), but a majority chose neither.
Only 22% see “Direct Action” as a
credible policy that can achieve at least
a 5% reduction in emissions by 2020.
Men are slightly more positive about the
policy than women, at 26% vs 17%.

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No referendum for repeal
This research reaffirms that attempts by some to
characterise the 2014 election as a “referendum on the
carbon tax” have little substance. Election Day exit
polling found that climate change and the “carbon tax”
were the lowest priority issues for voters, with only 5 per
cent and 3 per cent selecting them as priority issues,
respectively. These issues were eclipsed completely by
concerns about the economy (31 per cent) and cost of
living (15 per cent).
While the poll found that 34 per cent agree with repeal,
27 per cent do not want repeal, and a larger group - 38
per cent – are on the fence and said neither (22 per
cent) or don’t know (16 per cent). If people understood
that the carbon tax evolves to an emissions trading
scheme in July 2015, support would likely be higher (as
was the case in 2010 polling conducted by Nielsen).

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Renewables
While Australians remain confused about the
carbon pricing laws and are unsure of the
proposed replacement policies, over two-thirds
agree that tackling climate change creates new
opportunities in renewable energy.
Solar, wind and hydro have topped the charts as
ideal energy options for three years now. Coal,
nuclear and gas continue to be least supported.
Given direct planning law changes to the
contrary and Treasurer Hockey’s comments that
he finds wind farms “utterly offensive”, a
substantial majority of Australians (76 per cent)
agree “state governments should be putting in
place incentives for more renewable energy such
as wind farms.”

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Doing my bit
• Australians look to governments and business for
leadership on climate change but they also believe that
the response to climate change starts at home.
• Australians feel a personal responsibility - “doing my
bit” - when it comes to contributing to climate change
action. 65% believe that individuals can contribute to
addressing climate change.
• In terms of the most effective personal actions,
Australians rank planting trees and insulating their
homes as the most effective. These actions were
followed in popularity by installing solar panels and
recycling.
Putting the ‘I’ in climate change
of Australians want the
Renewable Energy Target
to be at least 20 per cent,
with 60 per cent wanting it
to be higher, and only 11
per cent who want exactly
20 per cent.
71%

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Demographics
Younger Australians are most likely to agree that
Australia is experiencing the impact of climate change.
Among those who think that climate change is occurring,
92 per cent of 18 to 34 year olds and 91 per cent of 35 to
54 year olds believe we are experiencing the impact,
compared to 83 per cent of 55+ year olds.
Older Australians are also most likely to agree that there
are too many conflicting opinions for the public to be sure
about claims made around climate change – 62 per cent
compared to 49 per cent of 35 to 54 year olds and 52 per
cent of 18 to 34 year olds.
Men are significantly more likely
to agree that the seriousness of
climate change is exaggerated (42
per cent compared to 29 per cent
of women).
More women than men agree that
Australia should be a world leader in finding
solutions to climate change (64 per cent
compared to 58 per cent of men).
City dwellers are more likely to think
that carbon pricing is helping to reduce
Australia's carbon emissions (36 per
cent compared to 30 per cent in
regional and rural areas).
Regional residents are more likely to agree that state
governments should be putting in place incentives for
more renewable energy, such as wind farms (79 per
cent compared to 74 per cent of metropolitan residents).

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What portion of our
energy should we
get from renewable
sources by 2020?
Vox Pops

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In mid-June, we asked some 40 people around Sydney whether they thought that humans were
contributing to climate change. These were their responses. Videos documenting their views in full can
be viewed at vimeo.com/TheClimateInstitute
Vox Pops
What’s Australia’s position when it comes
to climate change?
When it comes to energy, what are the
jobs of the future?

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More information
Visit www.climateinstitute.org.au/
climate-of-the-nation-2014.html
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Stop The Dinosaurs
Visit www.stopthedinosaurs.org.au
The dinosaurs in business
and politics are looking to kill
the carbon and renewable
energy laws - laws that are
driving down pollution and
growing renewable energy
like wind and solar. Help us
stop the dinosaurs, before it’s
too late.
Because if the dinosaurs
win, we all lose.
Take action.
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