The conversation on sustainability has changed
New research reveals 1 in 10 Victorians now rates climate change as the top priority issue for government, compared to 1 in 50 in 2010.
SV’s State of Sustainability report provides insight into the sustainability mindset of the Victorian community, tracking their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours. This multi-year online survey kicked off in 2023 with 2,510 Victorians participating across all ten Victorian regions.
For policy and decision makers, it’s an evidence base on where and how the Victorian community can be supported to address our most important sustainability challenges.
The research flags acceleration of circular economy, energy efficiency in the home, electrification and support for vulnerable populations as key opportunities for Victoria’s future.
The report reveals our increasingly sophisticated understanding of what it means to be ‘sustainable’ – a critical step as we look to reach net zero in Victoria by 2045.
Victorians’ understanding of sustainability has evolved
Fifteen years ago, Sustainability Victoria first delivered the Green Light Report, a Victorian Government initiative to provide insight into the environmental behaviours and sustainable household features of Victorians.
This past research, delivered from 2008 to 2010, shows how our perception of ‘sustainability’ has changed over time.
In 2009, 1 in 4 Victorians didn’t see a link between climate change and the energy they used at home. Water scarcity was our number one environmental concern, with 43% of Victorians nominating it as the top environmental issue for government action, compared to only 2% for waste disposal and recycling.
Questions on our intent to take shorter showers, offset air travel and donate money to environmental protection organisations were used as indicators of our sustainability mindset.
Victorians know that sustainability can improve our lives
In 2023, the conversation has changed. Sustainability is recognised as a critical ingredient for our quality of life and wellbeing – and as an issue that goes beyond environmental protection.
The research shows that the link between sustainability and cost of living is well understood, for example, with most Victorians who are renovating or building agreeing that energy efficient homes will result in lower energy bills (80%).
In 2009, only 1% of Victorians said cost of living was the most important issue for government action overall. In 2023, the research shows cost of living, housing and healthcare are the top three. Increased community understanding of how sustainability connects to these issues therefore comes at a critical time.
Matt Genever, Sustainability Victoria’s interim CEO, said it was valuable to know that Victorians have a generally positive attitude to sustainability given the potential social, environmental and economic benefits.
“Our programs have built an evidence base on how sustainability can improve quality of life and help the hip pocket,” he said.
“The Healthy Homes program demonstrated that energy efficiency upgrades can simultaneously reduce emissions, save householders money, improve health outcomes, and protect vulnerable communities.
“Similarly, our work with businesses demonstrates how a circular, no-waste operating model could turn sustainability into a competitive advantage.”
Victorians are viewing waste differently
Our thinking on ‘waste’ has changed, and we’re more critical about how we produce, use, and dispose of things. A decade ago, ‘circular economy’ wasn’t part of Victoria’s sustainability lexicon – we focused on waste management and recycling, rather than waste avoidance at the outset. Now Victoria is going circular and aiming to stop waste before it starts across all sectors of the economy.
State of Sustainability 2023 reveals that while the term ‘circular economy’ itself is not yet widely known, many Victorians are already actively avoiding waste and participating in the circular economy, for example, by shopping second-hand and using reusable bags.
This has been accelerated by technology, including the mainstream adoption of smartphones in the last decade and the availability of apps driving the ‘sharing economy’ – an opportunity to pool resources and source what we need locally or second-hand.
Victorians see a future without fossil fuels
Victorians are also thinking differently about energy – moving beyond fossil fuels and towards electrification.
State of Sustainability 2023 reveals most Victorians (65%) agree moving away from fossil fuels is important. Approximately 4 in 10 of Victoria’s homes now use renewable energy (41%), and one in 10 has battery storage – double the amount from 2017. It’s a dramatic contrast to 2009, when only 2% of respondents’ homes, or 1 in 50, had solar panels.
Change also extends to transport. The Green Light Report from 2009 suggested opportunities including “labelling the fuel efficiency of new cars”. Instead, the conversation on sustainable transport has evolved rapidly to focus on electric vehicles (EVs). EVs had 4% market share in Victoria in 2022, but this is rapidly accelerating.
Going beyond ‘green’ in government
For Victoria to transition to a circular economy and reach net-zero emissions by 2045, sustainability needs to be embedded across all areas of government policy – in partnership with other sectors including business, industry, academia, community, and NGOs.
The State of Sustainability research shows that renters struggle most to make their homes energy efficient, with 27% requesting upgrades and only 12% being approved. While it’s a sustainability challenge, it can only be solved with a solution considering the health, social, economic, infrastructure and environmental dimensions of the problem – and the right voices at the table to make this happen.
SV’s analysis of trends from the 2023 World Circular Economy Forum indicates that global first movers in circular economy all demonstrate a holistic approach to embedding sustainability and climate in government policy.
“The community now sees how sustainability affects many different parts of our lives, and we recognise that decision-making on sustainability needs to consider many different perspectives,” interim CEO Matt Genever says.
“The State of Sustainability report provides the insights and evidence needed to support impactful actions from leaders across all sectors.
“Consider how powerful it could be for the decision makers shaping a thriving, sustainability future for Victoria to work together in tackling some of our biggest sustainability challenges.”
Find out more
SV’s State of Sustainability research reveals that the conversation on sustainability in Victoria is changing.
Read the full report to see how Victorians feel about climate change, energy efficiency, circular economy, sustainable behaviours, and the role of local and state government.
The research is delivered as part of Sustainability Victoria’s social research program, which builds an evidence base for future investment in sustainability in our state.
SV previously delivered the related research Health Impacts of Climate Change (2020).
SV’s Healthy Homes pilot program has also contributed to Victoria’s research on health and climate change, indicating that minor energy efficiency upgrades for climate resilience could save $10 in healthcare costs for every $1 saved in energy.