Following an increased focus on climate change in the past few years, Australian comparison site Compare the Market ran some new research, where they surveyed 2,518 Australians, Canadians and Americans about their attitudes towards climate change, and efforts to combat it.

Results from the survey found that 82% of Australians are concerned about climate change and its potential impacts. Adding further strain to the situation, 63% of respondents believe that Australia is not doing enough to combat climate change.

Despite this, when asked whether the responsibility for curbing climate change should fall on the government or individuals, Australians primarily (63.2%) felt that the responsibility actually falls to individuals, although feelings of government responsibility were not far behind.

Compare the Market’s survey also found that the top three individualistic changes Australians are making in their lives to help curb climate change are using renewable energy where possible (53.9% of the population), striving for a zero-waste lifestyle (50.2%) and shopping second-hand (45.1%).

When asking the same questions to respondents in North America, the results revealed that Canadians and Americans also felt that the responsibility fell more to individuals than it did the government. The key difference, however, was that North Americans were more likely to feel this way, compared to their Australian counterparts. On average, there was an 8.7% or 10.5% difference in opinion for Canadian and American respondents, respectively.

The survey also found that only 56.5% of Aussies believe the steps they take make a difference toward climate change. Another 16.5% ultimately felt that the actions they take make no difference at all.

In terms of optimism for the future, the survey revealed that only 40% feel there is hope in curbing climate change, with a further 14.3% feeling very hopeful. However, a few pessimists are floating around, with over a fifth of Australians (22.7%) feeling that there is very little hope for the future of our planet.

To read the full results on attitudes towards climate change in Australia, America and Canada, please visit: https://www.comparethemarket.com.au/energy/features/attitudes-towards-climate-change/