'Future Summit' - Roy Morgan Survey
23 August 2007 at 3:56 pm
There has been a dramatic shift in what we perceive as the major problems facing the world in 2007 according to a Roy Morgan survey taken during the Future Summit in Melbourne this year.
The newly released findings show that 47% of participants including those from Australia, US, UK, New Zealand and Indonesia believe that environmental issues are the major problem facing the world and 56% consider environmental issues the most important problem facing Australia.
The survey findings were compared with last year’s Summit and show a dramatic change in the increased importance on the environment compared to other issues.
In 2006 just 26% believed that environmental issues were the main problem facing the world and in Australia that figure has jumped three fold in 2007 from 18% in 2006 to 56% in 2007.
In 2006 the Morgan Survey says it was clear that Australian people were more concerned with terrorism, wars and safety issues and less concerned about economics and environmental issues.
Future Summit 2007 was initiated by ADC (Australian Davos Connection) and was held on 14 & 15 May in Melbourne at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Participants at the Summit included established and emerging leaders from the government, academic, business and community sectors with many international and national speakers.
Australians and Future Summit Participants were asked: “What do you believe are the important Environmental issues facing the world today? What do you believe are the important Environmental issues facing Australia today?”
Last year Australians viewed the important Environmental issues facing the world and Australia today differently. Fifty-six percent of Australians believed Global Warming issues were one of the most important Environmental issues facing the world today.
Among Future Summit Participants, this view is reported even more widely (now 71%, unchanged since last year).
Last year 43% of Australians believed Water conservation, Water management or Drought to be the most important Environmental issue facing Australia – a view held by even more Future Summit Participants.
In 2006, 53% of Future Summit Participants considered water management to be among the most important issues facing Australia. In 2007 this was down 12% to 41%.
We hold relatively similar views on the global warming imperative. 71% of Australians and 77% (up 1%) of Future Summit Participants believe “If we don’t act now it will be too late”.
Despite the increased importance placed on environmental issues vis-à-vis other important issues facing Australia and the world, there has been a slight shift in attitude toward the environmental imperative.
Fewer now say when it comes to climate change or global warming "It is already too late" (13% down from 16%), and slightly more say "Concerns are exaggerated" (10% up from 8%).
