Climate change is happening and Australians are concerned about the impacts

More Australians accept the reality of climate change than at almost any time since Climate of the Nation began in 2007.

Three quarters (76%, up from 71% 2017) of Australians accept that climate change is occurring, 11% do not think that climate change is occurring and 13% are unsure.

Acceptance of climate change closely follows voting intentions, but interestingly while One Nation (22%) and Nationals (15%) voters are the most likely to say they do not think that climate change is occurring, this declined significantly for both groups since 2017.

The effects of heat are the driving concern about the impact of climate change, and people were most concerned about more droughts and flooding affecting crop production and food supply (78%), destruction of the Great Barrier Reef (77%) and more bushfires (76%).

Key findings >

• 73% of Australians are concerned about climate change, up from 66% in 2017
• 78% of Australians are concerned about climate change resulting in more droughts and flooding affecting crop production and food supply, 77% the Destruction of the Great Barrier Reef and 76% are worried about more bushfires
• 70% agree that the Government needs to implement a plan to ensure the orderly closure of old coal plants and their replacement with clean energy
• 67% of Australians want to end coal-fired power within the next 20 years
• 52% of Australians blame privatisation of electricity generation and supply for increasing electricity prices
• 29% blame renewable energy being expensive for increasing electricity prices
• 68% support State Governments putting in place incentives for renewable energy
• 53% think Governments aren’t doing enough about climate change
• 49% support a moratorium on new coal mines and the expansion of existing ones (20% oppose)
• 20% think Australia should pull out of the Paris Agreement
• 15% of Nationals voters do not think climate change is occurring, down from 29% in 2017
• 45% of One Nation voters agree the seriousness of climate change is exaggerated, down from 56% in 2017