Climate Change: Australians are worried but are ready to act

Climate distress and eco-anxiety have become the norm in Australia. According to a study undertaken by Veolia, the nation’s leader in ecological transformation and Elabe, French research and consulting firm, 84% of people say they are either concerned or anxious about climate disruption, with one in four people (26%) admitting the threat of climate change is so worrying it prevents them from making long-term life plans, such as having children.

Carrying the personal burden of environmental risks, 75% of Australians also said they felt vulnerable about the country’s degrading ecosystem, and more than two thirds of people (68%) said they felt exposed to harsh living conditions, such as extreme temperatures. However despite the eco-anxiety, more than half of Australians (57%) remain optimistic about restoring the planet’s health.

Richard Kirkman, Veolia’s Chief Executive Officer said the sentiment of Australians was not isolated, and that all 25 countries surveyed globally produced similar results. He said the numbers are indicative of the world’s exacerbating climate crisis, especially felt in Australia, but people are not losing hope.

“From bushfires and droughts, to heat waves and floods - it’s clear that Australians, among all global citizens, are feeling the emotional toll of the climate emergency, with eco-anxiety being a very real stress,” he said. 

The Veolia survey went on to reveal that Australians feel certain that climate disruption is happening (82%) and that associated impacts such as food scarcity is a ‘serious and immediate risk’. 

“For the first time, Australians are connecting the dots between climate and the future liveability of our planet, with issues like pollution, food scarcity and resource depletion recognised as imminent dangers. This knowledge is prompting citizens to call for change,” Mr Kirkman said.

The research revealed that 57% of people think that the future is still in our hands, believing we still have a chance to limit climate disruption and pollution. One solution viewed favourably by Australians is to address resource scarcity through better recycling.

“Australians want to be on the right side of climate history, and they are willing to accept the cost of action through better recycling. Overwhelmingly, 86% of Australians said they would buy food packed in recycled materials, 85% are ready to sort more waste, and 79% of people are willing to have recycling sites in their local areas. These are all very real steps we can take now, and they have an impact,” he said.

Unsurprisingly, Australians felt collective action would bring about the biggest impact, believing change to be shared responsibility between state government, local council, businesses and citizens. They also recognised that if joint efforts were successful, it would positively impact all of Australian society. 

“In the midst of environmental fear it’s hard to imagine what Australia would be like if we achieved  ecological transformation, however people are certain it would bring them healthier lives, happiness, a higher standard of living, and greater purchasing power - and they are right.

“The good news is that real, scalable solutions do exist. We’re already recycling, producing renewable energy, treating water through desalination, cleaning-up pollution, and decarbonising for ecological transformation. But this is just the beginning.

“With the fast adoption of more climate improvements, we can win the fight against climate change, and say goodbye to eco-anxiety once and for all,” Mr Kirkman said.

The Veolia survey was conducted in 25 countries across 5 continents. It gauged public opinion on climate change and measured the willingness of people around the world to accept solutions. Global results can be found at www.veolia.com.

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