The final report of NCCARF's ARGP project "Public understandings, risk perceptions, and responses to climate change and associated natural disasters"  presents and discusses national survey findings from a collaborative and cross-national research project undertaken by Griffith University (Australia) and Cardiff University (UK) examining public risk perceptions, understandings and responses to the threat and unfolding impacts of climate change in Australia and Great Britain. Each of these surveys, in addition to shared questions and objectives, had additional and differing objectives, with the Australian survey also examining public perceptions, experience, and responses to natural disasters, and the British survey examining energy policies and futures in the United Kingdom. Conducted by Joseph Reser and his team at Griffith University in collaboration with Cardiff University, the project generated considerable media interest, attracting 53 news reports around Australia. It represents one of very few crossnational studies addressing public understandings of, and responses to, climate change.

The Australian national survey was undertaken between 6 June and 6 July, 2010 and involved a representative and geographically and demographically stratified national sample of 3096 respondents.  The British survey was undertaken between 6 January and 26 March, 2010 and involved a representative quota sample of 1822 respondents residing in England, Scotland and Wales. These articulated surveys were distinctive in their cross-national comparative collaboration, in their psychological and social science nature, focus, and design, in their in-depth nature, and in their focus on underlying public understandings and psychological responses to climate change.

Please cite as:
Reser, JP, Bradley, GL, Glendon, AI, Ellul, MC & Callaghan, R 2012, Public risk perceptions, understandings, and responses to climate change and natural disasters in Australia and Great Britain, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, 298 pp.

Visit the project page to learn more
View the final report factsheet
View the interim report
View the video presentation