Observation
In 2025, Australians express majority support, in varying degrees, for a range of potential and ongoing federal government climate-related policies.
A number of countries, including Australia, have adopted green industrial policies that provide government subsidies and support for clean energy technology development and manufacturing. The vast majority of Australians (82%) say they support the government ‘providing subsidies for the development of renewable energy technologies’. While still high, support for this has gradually declined from a peak of 91% in 2021.
Seven in ten Australians (71%) say they support ‘reducing gas exports to other countries’, a new question this year. Close to three-quarters of the gas produced in Australia is exported. Some groups have advocated for the reduction of gas exports, given their contribution to climate change, while others have proposed doing so to lower domestic energy prices.
However, almost two-thirds of Australians (65%) support ‘increasing the use of gas for energy generation’. This is in line with the finding that a majority of Australians think gas should continue to have some role in Australia’s energy mix by 2050. Gas accounted for approximately 18% of total electricity generation in Australia in 2022–2023.
Australia is bidding to co-host the United Nations’ annual climate conference of the parties in 2026, known as COP31, in partnership with other Pacific Island nations. This initiative continues to have widespread support among Australians (70%), steady from 2024.
More than half of Australians (56%) support introducing an emissions trading scheme or a carbon tax, a drop of eight points since 2022. While an economy-wide emissions trading scheme is no longer under active debate in Australian politics, the government’s reformed Safeguard Mechanism does allow for emissions trading as part of a system to curb emissions in high-emitting industries.
A slim majority continue to support banning new coal mines (54%), a drop of nine points from 63% in 2022.