Recent research from Ipsos New Zealand, part of a global 32-country study released to commemorate Earth Day on April 22, has indicated a shift in public attitudes toward climate risks and climate action.
According to the study – which interviewed over 23,000 people online between Jan. 24 and Feb. 7 – concern among New Zealanders about climate change’s impact has declined to 69%, down from 76% in 2022 and 80% in 2023.
The percentage of New Zealanders who believe the country should be doing more to address climate change has also decreased. While 58% still view limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C as significant, the perceived urgency of taking climate action has waned both locally and globally.
Despite the latest figures, 62% of respondents continue to support immediate government action on climate issues. However, only 23% believe the government has a clear plan in place.
Public opinion remains divided on energy transition and mitigation efforts. Although most (62%) agree that renewable energy would benefit air quality – more than the 32-country average of 54% – 41% of respondents view electric vehicles as environmentally comparable to petrol-powered cars, highlighting persistent doubts about low-emission technologies.
The government has already begun deliberations on a national climate adaptation strategy following a recent parliamentary inquiry. The Finance and Expenditure Committee’s report recommends clearer roles for local and central authorities, improved access to risk data, and more consistent funding structures for resilience measures.
Carin Hercock, Ipsos New Zealand’s country manager, said economic pressures are likely influencing the change in attitude.
“This report gives us some insight as to why New Zealanders still see inflation as the most important issue facing New Zealand. New Zealanders are not making the connection between reductions in the official cash rate to an improvement in living costs. Instead, the majority believe that major household costs like groceries, power, and insurance will continue to increase in the next six months,” she said.
Amanda Dudding, executive director of public affairs at Ipsos, added that employment insecurity is another driver.
“Much of the uncertainty we are seeing in this report is coming from a belief that unemployment will continue to rise in New Zealand this year, and this sentiment seems to be particularly impacting women, with 54% worried about their own job security. This could be a carry-over from COVID when we saw underutilisation rates disproportionately impacting women,” she said.
At the recent Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) conference, ANZ chief risk officer Ben Kelleher highlighted how property values dip after extreme weather events but usually recover within two years.
However, he stressed that inconsistent access to hazard data creates uncertainty for buyers.
“What we lack is transparency of information, so any party going into a transaction would ideally have the same base level of information. If I’m going to buy a house in this location, what are its natural hazard risks,” he said.
IAG chief executive Amanda Whiting said that insurers are refining their use of granular data.
“It is actually having a rating, a risk factor if you like, on every property in New Zealand so we can actually start to work through, how do we know where the high risk-rated properties are and what are we doing about those,” she said, adding that developers should be advised upfront if a new build is likely to be uninsurable due to location-based risks.
Tower Insurance chair Michael Stiassny urged government intervention to avoid placing new developments in high-risk areas. He raised concerns that lower-income households could face increased hardship if they become unable to secure insurance.
“The lower end of the market unfortunately is going to be taken to the cleaners by the developer already with the council in tow,” Stiassny said.
