Aucklanders want bold action on climate change, middle-aged men less convinced
Tuesday, 3 March 2020
Most Aucklanders believe that people are causing climate change, and nearly half think more radical lifestyle changes are needed, according to a new survey by Auckland Council.
Views show a contrast between younger and older Aucklanders, and nearly half of those surveyed could not identify a key move needed to be taken.
The survey has been conducted as Auckland Council prepares next week to begin to debate on how the city can help limit global warming.
The main findings are seen as a sign of community backing for serious action, said councillor Richard Hills who chairs the Environment and Climate Change committee.
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When asked whether human activity was changing the climate, 75 per cent of the 1,967 surveyed agreed.
The strongest belief in a human cause was with those aged 18-29 (81 per cent) and the least likely to believe people were changing the climate were men aged 50-64 (64 per cent) and women aged over 65 (67 per cent).
On their level of worry about the impacts of climate change, 32 per cent expressed high concern, 46 per cent medium, and 21 per cent either low or no concern.
Women under-30 were the most likely to have high concern, (48 per cent) while men aged over 65 were least likely (22 per cent).
Forty per cent said they were prepared to make radical changes to their lifestyle, 42 per cent accepted medium change, and 12 per cent were prepared to make lower level or no change to their lifestyle.
'We've got the community on board, they believe in it and they know we have to do something, but it's now how we translate that into action,' Hills told Stuff in response to the findings.
Auckland Council is party to the C40 global agreement by cities to limit the average rise in temperatures to 1.5 degrees, and said that means halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
The question of what changes were needed to meet those goals, proved more challenging to those surveyed.
Nearly half, 43 per cent, could not identify a key area for change, and of those who could, around half cited something related to transport.
Better and cheaper public transport was chosen by 14 per cent, while 11 per cent suggested less use of private motor vehicles.
While 88 per cent felt the council had a medium or 'more critical' role in Auckland reducing its emissions and preparing for the impact of climate change, around 60 per cent did not believe the council had a plan, or did not know whether it had.
Auckland Council was last year one of many local bodies which declared a climate emergency – a symbolic statement that the issue would command greater attention.
The council consulted last year on a 'Climate Action Framework', a broad outline of areas it might focus on, and next week will consider feedback and how to move on to a plan of specific action.
Over the next year, in addition to existing plans, the council is mostly focussed on new internal initiatives such as reducing and electrifying it's car fleet, and starting to convert gas-fired boilers to electric.
The debate starting next week is on more wide-ranging initiatives to roll out as part of the city's revised 10 Year Budget from mid-2021.
Colmar Brunton surveyed 1,967 Aucklanders in a sample reflecting the city's demographic make-up, and said the findings have a margin of error of 2.2 per cent.