A report conducted by the Lowy Institute has found that consumers are less interested in taking action on climate change now than they were two years ago.
In 2007, an annual survey conducted by the Lowy Institute revealed that climate change was the top of the list. Two two years on, it has fallen to seventh place behind issues like job security, the strength of the economy, terrorism and the threat of nuclear weapons.
The poll asked over 1,000 Australians to rank the importance of a series of foreign policy goals. Of those surveyed, 56 percent thought climate change was important, down 10 points from last year and 19 points from the year before.
According to Institute executive director, Dr Michael Wesley, the results highlight the changing attitudes of Australians.
“It basically shows that Australians are starting to rank other foreign policy priorities ahead of climate change and global warming,” he said.
However Greens leader Bob Brown disagrees with the findings, believing that Australians are not less interested in tackling climate changes and instead see the reduction of greenhouse gases as an urgent domestic concern.
“It’s raised, it’s gone up on the attention of Australians as it’s become much more a political issue being dealt with in Canberra and indeed at other levels of government,” he said.
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