Who Cares about the Environment?Who Cares about the Environment?20020099Environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of the people of NSW
Sixth triennial surveySixth triennial survey
Overview
• Introduction to the research
• Findings– Priorities, attitudes and values– Knowledge and views– Behaviours– In summary
• What’s next…
Research context• Sixth full round of research in social research series
• Survey conducted triennially since 1994
• Point in time snapshot plus adds to our understanding of longer term changes
• Qualitative component each year
Research designQuantitative telephone survey• 2,003 NSW residents aged 15yrs+; June-July 2009
• Geographically-stratified, random sample across NSW• Measure environmental knowledge, attitudes and
behaviours
Focus group discussions (qualitative)• 7 across metro and regional NSW; December 2009• Recruited from survey sample• Help explain survey results and understand community
segments
SURVEY FINDINGS
Priorities values and attitudes
Priorities for NSW Government
Environment remains in the top five issues for NSW government attention,
now and in the future
5
5
5
6
10
11
15
22
23
50
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Government performance
State budget/finances
The economy/economic growth
Other social issues
Unemployment
* Environmental group
Roads and traffic
Public transport/railways
Education
Health system
Percentage of respondents
2009 n=2003
Priorities for NSW Government attention at present – top 10
Back to 2003 level after 2006 peak of 16%
5%
Water has declined dramatically 12% 3%, not in top 10
Most important issue in ten years time – top 10
7899910
1818
2235
0 10 20 30 40 50
Water supply/water conservation/droughtAgeing population/ associated issues
UnemploymentOther social issues
Planning and developmentRoads and traffic
Public transport/railwaysEducation
Environmental groupHealth system
Percentage of respondents2009 n=2003
Similar to 2006 (24%)
From 2006: environmental group of issuesas a current priority, 16 11%
as a future priority, 24 22%
But still 5th as current, and 2nd as future, priority as in 2006
Environment as current and future priority –in summary
5%
5%
2%Reflects decline in water issues
All environmental issues seen as more important in future than present
Younger people/students more likely to nominate the environment as a current and future priority
Concern about environmental problems
Are you concerned? Yes 78% No 22%
34
25
43
42
9 13
2211
2006
2009
A Great Deal A Fair Amount A little No
How concerned?
Compared to 2006: 87% concerned
Why concerned?
Prompted list - responses read out to respondent
38
19
13
10
10
9
35
15
10
11
9
18
0 10 20 30 40 50
Concern for future generations
Maintaining ecosystems
Long-term economic sustainability
Health effects of pollution
Availability of resources we consume
Quality of life
% respondents concerned environmental problems 2009 n=15542006 n=1511
Dramatic decline -halved
Significant increases
Reasons for lack of concern
“The problem is not as bad as they say”2006 6% 24% in 2009 – quadrupled
…..replaced as top reason:
“Low priority compared to other issues”2006 21% 12% in 2009 – almost halved
7
10
11
16
8
20
12
13
57
5
10
10
12
14
17
17
23
42
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Development and planning
Other pollution
Water pollution/ water quality
Forest/bushland/ biodiversity
Waste
Air pollution/air quality
Energy
Climate change
Water supply, conservation,management/drought
2006 2009
Percentage of respondents
15%
10%
5% Climate change plus sub-themes in energy with climate change implications = 38%
The most important environmental issues in 2009(two most important)
7
10
11
16
8
20
12
13
57
5
10
10
12
14
17
17
23
42
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Development and planning
Other pollution
Water pollution/ water quality
Forest/bushland/ biodiversity
Waste
Air pollution/air quality
Energy
Climate change
Water supply, conservation,management/drought
2006 2009
Percentage of respondents
3%
Air pollution has dropped to 4th issue (from 2nd) for first time
5% Waste bounced back to close to pre-2006 levels4%
Biodiversity issues have dropped to 6th (from 3rd) for first time
The most important environmental issues in 2009
14
10
10
9
9
7
5
4
4
3
2
1
9
6
19
8
4
8
5
5
5
3
2
5
Energy and greenhouse
Education
Water supply, conservation &management
Regulation
Government strategies
Vegetation and biodiversity
Public transport
Waste
Air quality / air pollution
Development, population and planning
River management
Water quality / water pollution 2009 2006
What should NSW Government do?
Energy and greenhouse initiatives highest
5%
Replacing water which has almost halved 9%
14
10
10
9
9
7
5
4
4
3
2
1
9
6
19
8
4
8
5
5
5
3
2
5
Energy and greenhouse
Education
Water supply, conservation &management
Regulation
Government strategies
Vegetation and biodiversity
Public transport
Waste
Air quality / air pollution
Development, population and planning
River management
Water quality / water pollution20092006
‘Traditional’ issues, air and water quality and waste declined further
Education significant increase
4%
What should NSW Government do?
Knowledge and views
Climate change - knowledge
• Half of NSW residents knew that greenhouse effect is not caused by a hole in the earth’s atmosphere
• Steady increases in knowledge each survey since 1994
• 48% knew electricity generation in NSW is a bigger source of carbon pollution than transport (new question)
24
31
36
40
41
51
0 20 40 60 80 100
1994
1997
2000
2003
2006
2009
Percentage of respondents
Correct answer
The greenhouse effect is caused by a
hole in the Earth's atmosphere (F)
Climate change – beliefs
78% believe climate change is happening or will happen
Impact• 76% think it will have a great deal or a fair amount of
impact on them or their children
• 23% think there will be little or no impact
Timing• 46% think we are feeling impacts now or they will be felt
in less than 5 years
• 31% think impacts won’t be felt for at least 20 years
Climate change - belief about action
69% agree NSW should take urgent action on climate change, regardless of current
economic and social conditions
Knowledge – other issues39% knew industrial sites and sewerage treatment
facilities cause less water/beach pollution than rainfall runoff (new question)
35% know more water is used for agriculture in NSW than domestic and manufacturing combined(no change since 2006)
32% know recycling paper, cardboard and glass saves materials as well as water, energy and fuel(slight increase from 2006)
Optimism about changes in the environmentPeople who said things
better in last 3 years
Reducing electricity use 48%
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40%
Reducing water consumption 74%
Encouraging alternatives to motor vehicles 34%
Ensuring enough water flowing in rivers 27%
Protecting and conserving Aboriginal cultural heritage 50%
20%
7%
6%
9%
15%
8%
16
10
10
7
17
14
10
24
26
22
26
31
40
37
47
54
41
40
53
51
49
41
36
34
25
24
23
8
11
12
11
5
11
10
11
14
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Property development / constructionindustry
Mining industry
Manufacturing industry
Retailing industry
Forestry industry
Individuals and households
Tourism industry
Farming and agriculture
Recreational and commercial fishing
Too strict About right Too lax Not sure
Attitudes towards environmental regulations
Views on regulation vary according to the sector
About half think it is about right
About half think it is too lax
About a quarter think it is too strict
Reliability of environmental information sources – top 7
11
15
12
17
23
22
21
23
40
38
31
31
36
39
53
49
58
54
62
56
64
58
48
43
54
52
51
45
25
19
20
17
12
10
9
9
6
6
10
8
8
7
9
9
8
7
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
7
1
5
2
11
4
8
3
10
2
7
3
7
0 20 40 60 80 100
2003
2009
2003
2009
2003
2009
2003
2009
2003
2009
2003
2009
2003
2009
Percentage of respondents
Very reliable Fairly reliable Fairly unreliable Very unreliable Hard to say
Local councils
National environment and
conservation organizations
Community service groups
Schools
Scientists and technical
specialists
Govt depts or agencies
Local environment and conservation
groups
Conservation groups trusted by the most people
The most trusted group in 2003 –declined by 7%
Increase in very reliable since 2003
Reliability of sources of environmental information sources – next 4
4
3
2
4
8
7
17
16
32
32
34
32
41
32
54
48
42
39
40
34
32
30
23
23
18
17
20
18
14
17
4
4
3
9
3
12
5
15
3
9
0 20 40 60 80 100
2003
2009
2003
2009
2003
2009
2003
2009
Percentage of respondents
Very reliable Fairly reliable Fairly unreliable Very unreliable Hard to say
Religious leaders
and churches
Business and industry
Members of your family or friends
Media personalities
Rated unreliable by more people than rated them reliable
Majority agreed with specific measures:
70% supported greater involvement of Aboriginal people in environmental management and conservation
Even where they might impact on people:
85% strongly agreed/agreed that some areas of the marine environment should be protected
52% agreed with rivers and wetlands getting enough water to stay healthy
Views on specific environmental propositions
− strongly agree from 2006 11% 18%7%
Personal behaviour
Getting into the environment –national parks visitation
66% had visited a national park in the last year
from 59% in 20067%
People 25-34, those with university or technical education and those employed were more likely to have visited in the past year
Everyday environmental behaviours - trends
4745
39
404041
5250
49
384849
3048
54
6263
61
63
6575
70
7073
82
0 20 40 60 80 100
Composted food and/or garden refuse orused a worm farm
Avoided products with excess packaging
Chosen better household products
Reduced fuel consumption / vehicle airpollution
Avoided plastic bags to carry shopping home
Decided to re-use rather than throwing away
Reduced the amount of food the householdthrows out
Reduced water consumption
Reduce energy consumption
Often
Peaked in 2006, now lower
Upward trend
Big jump in 2006 with higher fuel prices but has maintained
Everyday environmental behaviours - trends
4745
39
404041
5250
49
384849
3048
54
626361
63
6575
70
7073
82
0 20 40 60 80 100
Composted food and/or garden refuse orused a worm farm
Avoided products with excess packaging
Chosen better household products
Reduced fuel consumption / vehicle airpollution
Avoided plastic bags to carry shopping home
Decided to re-use rather than throwing away
Reduced the amount of food the householdthrows out
Reduced water consumption
Reduce energy consumption
Often
Not changing through surveys
Declining trend,40% never done
Uptake of these behaviours increases with age
Occasional environmental behaviours
202120
3636
2725
353841
3846
635251
6773
0 20 40 60 80 100
1994
2006
2009
1997
2000
2006
2009
1994
1997
2000
2006
2009
1994
2006
2009
2006
2009
Percentage of respondentsYes
Participated in local development or
environmental issues
Purchased an energy-efficient appliance
Tried to get information on an environmental
topic or issue
Tried to encourage someone to change an activity or practice that
was harmful to the environment
Took part in a Landcare, Bushcare, tree planting or other
restoration project
About a quarter are participating in local issues and a fifth in active restoration projects
6%
Significant increase in seeking environmental information (8%)
Information sources – top 8
2
2
2
1
6
6
14
59
1
1
4
5
12
7
13
3
3
5
6
9
18
22
72
0 20 40 60 80
TV (news or not further specified)
Courses / seminars / workshops
Friends and family
Books
State government department or local council
Newspapers / magazines
Publicly available printed brochures and publications
Internet
Percentage of respondents who accessed information in last year
First triedOther tried
Of those who said they sought out environmental information – they overwhelmingly used the internet
Demographics - gender differences
Concern: women more likely to be concerned a great deal about the environment (27% vs 22%) and to express any concern (81% vs 74%)
Optimism: on most environmental issues, women more likely to say the situation had improved over last 3yrs
Behaviour: women engaged in greater # household behaviours (average 5.8 out of 10 vs 5.1 for men)
Knowledge: men had greater environmental knowledge –answered average 2.3 out of 5 correctly vs 1.8 for women
Community segments analysis
Three segments identified based on engagement in environmental behaviours
Committeds (38%)High on both householdand citizenship behaviours
More likely to be:• female• university graduates• live in rural areas
Privates (32%)High on household but low on citizenship behaviours
More likely to be:• female• retired• not completed Yr 12• have children
Reluctants (21%)Low on both household and citizenship behavioursMore likely to be:• male• aged 15-24• live in Sydney
0.81 0.78
0.30
0.66
0.14 0.16
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0 Household-basedbehavioursCitizenship behaviours
Behaviours score
SummaryEnvironment in top five as current and future priority for NSW Government
Water conservation and management issues have declined substantially across a range of questions
Climate change and energy issues have continued to increase as environmental issues and initiatives
More than ¾ believe climate change is happening or going to happen and 69% agree the NSW government should take urgent action
Concern about environmental problems has dropped
More people are more positive about a range of environmental indicators
People continue to engage in a range of environmentally friendlybehaviours, with increasing participation in energy conservation and avoiding plastic bags, decreased water conservation and composting
Next steps
Seminar series during March:
Sydney seminars: Four city seminars for different sectors [government,local government, business, community organisations]
Regional seminars: Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Lismore, Armidale, Orange,South Coast, Queanbeyan, Wagga Wagga
What’s next (cont)Research products:
Main report (survey only)Who Cares? at a GlanceWho Cares? - Qualitative reportDemographic Fact sheetsDemographic Tables
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/community/whocares.htm
Get your staff, colleagues, workplace using the results. Apply the findings to your issues.
Published by:Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW 59–61 Goulburn Street, SydneyPhone: (02) 9995 5000 (switchboard)Fax: (02) 9995 5999 TTY: (02) 9211 4723
Email: [email protected]: www.environment.nsw.gov.auDECCW 2010/532July 2010