When asked to name up to three issues that personally interest or concern them the most and that the Australian Government should focus on in the latest JWS Research True Issues survey, around one third (34%) of Australians describe issues related to the environment and climate change.
A third of Australians concerns about environmental and climate change concerns represents a substantial increase from five months ago (22%), overtaking hospitals, healthcare and ageing (29%) that led community concerns in February and June while the Royal Commission into Aged Care was widely covered and discussed.
True Issues is a research tool to assist Australian businesses understand where their issues truly sit within the contemporary issues landscape. This poll was conducted as an online survey between 6 – 10 November among a representative national sample of 1,000 Australians aged 18+ years.
Cost of living and healthcare lead prompted concerns, but more Australians worry about the environment and the regions than in previous True Issues surveys.
With extreme weather conditions and climate change more prominent in recent public debate, the environment and climate change and agriculture and regional development are now higher community priorities for Government attention in both metropolitan and regional areas, each up five points nationally since June.
Overall, energy (27%) rates just outside the top five issues on importance and, when asked to decide how much focus should be given to each of three competing priorities in the national energy debate, on average, Australians prioritise energy affordability (38%), ahead of security and reliability (32%) and reducing emissions (30%). This reflects the greater community concern around living costs than environmental issues and climate change.
This was an excerpt from our latest True Issues report, to read the full report, click the link below.
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