Public opinion on climate change is emerging as a challenge for Australia’s conservative Liberal-National Government, according to the latest Lowy Institute Poll released today.
In what the Sydney-based think-tank calls a striking shift in opinion this year, 45 per cent of Australian adults now say “global warming is a serious and pressing problem.
As well the responding Australians said “We should begin taking steps now even if this involves significant costs.”
The poll says concern is up five per cent on last years response and nine per cent since 2012.
‘After successive polls revealed declining concern about climate change between 2006 and 2012, this year’s Poll shows that the trend-line has turned, and that Australians’ concern about climate change is now on the rise’, said Alex Oliver, director of the poll.
When asked about international policy on global warming and carbon emissions, 63 per cent of Australians say the government should be taking a leadership role on reducing carbon emissions.
Only 28 per cent say it should wait for an international consensus, while a fraction, just seven per cent, say the government should do nothing.
‘What’s even more striking about these results is that most Australians have very strong views on the leadership role their government should take on climate change’, Ms Oliver said.
Concern about climate change differs across age-groups.
Australians under 45 years are more likely to regard global warming as ‘a serious and pressing problem’ at 51 per cent, compared with 40 er cent of those 45 years and older.
Education is also a factor, with only 37 per cent of those with Year 11 or lower education choosing the most serious option, compared with 50 per cent of those with Year 12 or higher education.
As with concerns about global warming, attitudes towards Australia’s leadership options on emissions reduction differ according to age.
A very substantial 70 per cent of adults aged 18-44 years say that Australia should take a leadership role, compared with 56 per cent of those aged 45 and older.
The full report is available on the Lowy Institute website, together with the updated 2014 Lowy Institute Poll Interactive, a data visualisation tool exploring key results from 10 years of Lowy Institute polling.
The 2014 Lowy Institute Poll is based on a nationally representative telephone survey of 1000 Australian adults between 12 and 27 February 2014.
An additional 150 adults aged 18-29 years of age were also surveyed on questions about democracy, threats to Australia’s vital interests, climate change and feelings towards other countries.
The Poll’s error margin on the 1000 sample is approximately +/- 3.1