Acceptance of climate change and climate refugee policy in Australia and New Zealand: The case against political polarisation

Abstract

Despite the seriousness of climate change, political polarisation and right-wing denial of climate change is frequently blamed for stalling effective climate policy. One concerning consequence of climate change is the displacement of people. We identify demographic correlates of acceptance of climate change and support for climate refugee policy within two nations likely to become early recipients of climate-driven migrants: Australia (N = 5110) and New Zealand (N = 5039). Political orientation is the strongest demographic correlate of climate change denial and climate refugee policy support, but deeper analysis shows that while support is highest amongst left-wing partisans, almost all voting groups on average accept climate change and climate migration policy. We argue that current high levels of support indicate potential for cross-partisan policy solutions in both Australia and New Zealand. We also caution about ways polarisation may deepen as we approach a climate refugee crisis.