New Zealanders have an increased sense of urgency on the climate crisis and are the most concerned about the impact of climate change seen around the world.

Among the 32 countries surveyed by Ipsos, New Zealand is most worried about the impact of climate change around the world with the majority (81%) of New Zealanders expressed concerns about the impacts of climate change that can already be seen in other countries (compared to a global market average of 70%, and 69% in Australia). Three quarters (76%) of New Zealanders are also concerned about the impacts of climate change that are already being seen in New Zealand.

The Ipsos Global Advisor Study regularly asks respondents from around the world, including New Zealand, for their views on different topics. Ipsos has conducted this study to understand perceptions around key environmental issues facing different countries, willingness to make personal changes to combat climate change and expectations from the government. The research also explored people’s perceptions of different climate change action and their effectiveness in reducing emissions. More than 20,000 people across 31 countries were surveyed. In New Zealand, 1,003 people aged 18+ participated in this survey.

Compared to last year, significantly more New Zealanders recognise that individuals, businesses and the government need to act now:

• 65% stated that if the government does not act now to combat climate change, it will be failing the people of New Zealand (from 57% last year)
• 70% stated that if businesses do not act now, they will be failing their employees and customers (up from 60% in 2021)
• 73% stated that if individuals like me do not act now, we will be failing future generations (up from 62%)

New Zealanders are also more aware of the government’s climate change action plan, with 46% acknowledging that the government has a clear plan in place for how government, businesses and people are going to work together to tackle climate change (from just 37% last year). As a comparison, globally, awareness of governments’ climate change action plan sits as 39% (from just 31% last year).

However, an increased sense of urgency has not translated into clear changes in how people plan to act. The proportion of the public, both globally and in New Zealand, planning to make pro-environmental changes over the coming year has not increased significantly since last year.

People’s understanding of what to do as individuals to reduce contribution to carbon emissions also remains low. Recycling and growing/producing your own food are incorrectly identified by New Zealanders as the top-2 most impactful carbon-reducing actions (the true rank for reducing emissions has recycling in 60th place, and growing/producing your own food in 23rd place), while living car-free or changing to a vegan diet (which have a far higher impact) are not seen by most as being particularly impactful.

Interestingly, New Zealanders are great recyclers (with 95% indicating that they are already recycling or are likely to start recycling in the next 12 months) but are particularly reluctant to eat less meat (42% say they are unlikely to reduce their meat consumption) and dairy products (49% are unlikely to reduce dairy consumption).

Other key findings include:

• Over two thirds of people globally are concerned about the impacts of climate change, both in their own countries (68% global market average) and around the world (70% global market average)
• Nearly a third (31%) of New Zealanders don’t think that the country will make significant progress against climate change this decade (36% global market average, 37% Australia)
• Nearly half (48%) of New Zealanders don’t believe that other countries around the world will make significant progress against climate change this decade (34% global market average, 34% Australia)
• New Zealanders strongly believe that everyone – government, businesses, and individuals – have a shared responsibility to reduce their carbon emissions:
  • 86% believe that the government has a great deal/a fair amount of responsibility to reduce carbon emissions (cf. 77% global market average)
  • 84% believe that businesses have a great deal/a fair amount of responsibility to reduce carbon emissions (cf. 76% global market average)
  • 79% believe that individuals have a great deal/a fair amount of responsibility to reduce carbon emissions (cf. 74% global market average)
• The public are more likely to overestimate how much the Earth has warmed. When asked how much they think the Earth has warmed, if at all, since 1850:
  • The global average mean answer is 2.1°C
  • The New Zealand mean answer is 2.4°C
  • The true value is 1°C

Commenting on results of the Climate Change survey, Carin Hercock, Managing Director, Ipsos New Zealand, said: “This research shows a significant disconnect between the actions individual people are personally willing to take to reduce climate change, and the actions that will have a real impact on climate change. This indicates that both major education programs and behaviour change interventions will be required for New Zealand to reach its Nett Zero 2050 objectives.”

Amanda Dudding, Research Director, Public Affairs, Ipsos New Zealand, added: “It’s interesting that despite the recent flooding and adverse weather events, more New Zealanders are concerned about the impact of climate change on the rest of the world than they are on New Zealand. It might explain why we’re more reluctant to make the more difficult changes to our own lives, like eating less meat and dairy products.

Despite having a high level of concern about the impacts of climate change, and the increasing realisation that we need to act now, our Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor survey shows that climate change is never in the top 5 issues facing our country. I think New Zealanders understand the impact of the issue, but not necessarily the urgency. There are always other issues more pressing such as inflation and housing.”

About the Study

These are the results of an Ipsos survey conducted on the Global Advisor online platform among 23,577 adults aged 18–74 in the US, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Africa and Turkey, aged 16–99 in Norway and aged 16–74 in all other countries, were interviewed. The global survey was conducted between 18 February and 4 March 2022. The New Zealand survey was conducted between 23-29 May 2022

Approximately 1,000+ individuals participated on a country-by-country basis via the Ipsos Online Panel with the exception of Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, India, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey,

https://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/2207/Ipsos_New_Zealand_Global_Advisor__Climate_Change_25.07.2022.pdf

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