Twice as many older Australians than young adults believe the world cannot do anything to prevent the worst effects of our rapidly heating climate, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll.
The poll of 1,020 Australians last week,also found just 53% of people think climate change is happening and is caused by human activity. That has declined one point from March 2025, when 54% of respondents said the same.
In the latest poll, 31% of voters said the world was experiencing normal climate fluctuations with 16% undecided – compared with March 2025 when 35% said the world was experiencing normal climate fluctuations and 11% were undecided.
The percentage of respondents who believed in climate change was as high as 64% in 2017. The previous time this question was asked before this year – in October 2021 – the numbers were 59% and 30%.
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In a different poll in September 2024, 60% of Australians accepted climate disruption is caused by humans.
A 2021 study found the scientific consensus that humans are altering the climate has passed 99.9%, with the degree of scientific certainty about the impact of greenhouse gases similar to the level of agreement on evolution and plate tectonics.
Elsewhere in the poll, only 39% of people think the world will be able to prevent dangerous levels of global warming caused by climate change; 45% said they did not believe this.
People aged 18-34 were the most optimistic, with half believing climate effects could be prevented and only 40% disagreeing. Those aged 55 and over were the most pessimistic, with just over a quarter (26%) believing climate change could be prevented and 56% disagreeing.
Despite this, 59% of respondents say they were worried about the catastrophic impacts of climate change. 67% said they were worried about the development of self-aware AI and 62% were worried about rising inequality leading to social upheaval.
Peter Lewis, the executive director of Essential Media, said the polling on climate showed a “general sense of doom around whether action will create meaningful change”.
The poll, conducted before Australia withdrew from seeking to host the Cop31 climate summit, found just 38% supported the push, with 22% opposed and 40% undecided.
“While Chris Bowen has a big job in the next Cop, the fact that it won’t be held here is probably a net positive for the government,” Lewis said.
Essential also found a small uptick in Anthony Albanese’s approval rating and a minor fall in Sussan Ley’s. The prime minister’s approval rose from 45% to 47%, and his disapproval fell from 44% to 43%, representing a plus-four net approval rating.
Ley’s approval rating dropped from 32% to 31% and her disapproval ticked up from 43% to 44%, representing a net negative-13 approval. But Ley still holds a slim lead as the best person to lead Liberals, with 14% of voters picking her from a list which also included Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (11%) and backbench leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie (8%).
Fellow leadership contender Angus Taylor was the favourite for 5% of voters, tied with the moderate shadow minister Tim Wilson.
The poll also finds an overwhelming majority of Australians want the government to take major action on curbing gambling advertisements, with nearly two-thirds of voters backing either a total ban or dramatic restrictions on when they can be shown.
Some 40% of voters want to ban all ads, with another 23% calling to heavily restrict advertising but allow some. Another 28% backed moderate restrictions, including around the times and programs such ads can be shown in.
Only 9% of Australians said no action on gambling ads was needed.
Lewis said the poll showed the public appeared to have “a stronger appetite for action on gambling advertisements than the government.”
“While support is always vulnerable to targeted negative campaigns from vested interests, this suggests there is a strong base for greater ambition,” he said.
