Anti-climate beliefs stronger in Australia and New Zealand, global survey suggests

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-08-20 19:00

Australia; New Zealand; Pacific; International

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A global study finds belief systems around climate change tend to be more consistent in the "global north"—but there's a sharp divide in what those beliefs are, with Australia and New Zealand having relatively anti-climate attitudes. Researchers analysed Facebook surveys of over 99,000 users, looking at the connections between their climate beliefs, such as whether climate change is happening, and whether it's caused by humans. Regions with closely interlinked or "stable" climate belief systems were more likely to hold anti-climate beliefs, while those with more loosely connected systems, including the Pacific Islands, tended to have pro-climate beliefs. The authors say that it could be a challenge for places with stable anti-climate belief systems, like Australia and NZ, to align these attitudes with scientific perspectives.