State of Sustainability Report 2023
State of Sustainability Report 2023
We commissioned research for deeper insight into what Victorians think about climate change and our efforts to live more sustainably.
About the report
To transition Victoria to a circular, climate-resilient and clean economy, we need to understand how sustainably Victorians are living. In March 2023, Sustainability Victoria commissioned the first wave of a new multi-year research program to track the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours of Victorians. This program builds on previous social research and continues our longstanding commitment to understanding the drivers and barriers to action.
The research shows us where we are performing well and identifies opportunities for Victorians to take action to live more sustainably, more affordably and in a way that contributes to making our local communities more climate resilient. It also empowers us to make informed decisions, as all parts of government and the Victorian community help shape a net zero emissions and circular, climate-resilient economy.
Survey participants
We surveyed 2,510 Victorians spanning all 10 Victorian regions on their attitudes, behaviours and the actions they’re taking to live a more sustainable life.
Research focus
The research focuses on the following areas:
- Climate change – priority and concern.
- Thermal quality and energy efficiency of housing.
- Energy source – transitioning our homes from gas to all-electric.
- Renewable energy, solar panels, batteries, electric vehicles (EVs) and transport.
- Renovators and those building a new home.
- Individual behaviours and the circular economy.
- Expectations of government.
- Role of local and state government.
Video
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Visual summary
This narrated video displays animated graphics, graphs and figures highlighting the data contained within the State of Sustainability report.
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Narrator: As Victoria transitions to a net zero circular economy, our research is measuring how sustainably we are living.
Our research shows that 70% of Victorians think that living sustainably is important with about half keen to learn more.
Concern about climate change is high with Victorians feeling the impacts through increases in the cost of living, changes to the environment and effects on our health and health services.
An important part of living sustainably is making sure our homes are as energy efficient as possible, but our research shows there's more to be done.
Over 70% of homes could improve energy use by switching to more energy efficient heating, hot water, and cooking appliances that do the same job but use less energy.
And over one third of us are living in homes that have poor thermal quality, which means they're uncomfortable to live in and cost more to heat and cool.
There is also the opportunity for many more homes to be powered by clean, renewable energy, and this is another area that the survey will track over the coming years. Our research will measure a whole range of sustainable living behaviours like using your own bags for shopping, doing more to reduce food waste, and our changing consumption habits as we move towards a more resilient and circular economy.
To read more about how we Victorians are tracking to a more sustainable future, download the full report at www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
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5 things to know
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Living sustainably and reducing waste is important to Victorians. But more work is needed to shift from a ‘throw-away' or linear economy to a circular economy.
Sustainable behaviours – like taking reusable bags to the shops, minimising food waste by shopping with a list or eating leftovers at least once a week – are strong.
Victorians are also engaging in circular economy behaviour like buying or selling goods online or from op shops. But they are less likely to use repair services, or to lease or hire items rather than acquiring them new.
Creating services that make waste avoidance possible, like repair cafes, exchange libraries, leasing and buy-back schemes is important. We need to build consumer confidence in these services as the ‘new normal’ and support 'buying to last' consumption patterns.
It is important too that more Victorians understand the meaning of a ‘circular economy’ and the various ways they can increase sustainable living by incorporating ‘circular’ principles into their consumption behaviours.
Currently three-quarters of Victorians don’t understand the term ‘circular economy’, and almost half said they had never heard of it.
Read about how Victorians are taking part in the circular economy – without knowing what it is.
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Victorians recognise that climate change impacts health, wellbeing, and quality of life. Although health impacts have already been felt by many (51%), there are significant gaps in awareness of the type of health conditions that will become more common as climate change impacts increase. For instance, 50% are not aware that the risk of getting heat stress or heatstroke is likely to increase as summer temperatures get more extreme.
This lack of awareness will likely flow on to lack of preparedness and protective behaviours being taken, and overall will reduce our climate resilience.
Read about how climate change is already affecting our health.
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State of Sustainability 2023 comes 15 years after Sustainability Victoria first benchmarked the attitudes of Victorians in the 2008 Greenlight Report.
In that time, the conversation on sustainability has evolved. We’ve seen the emergence of new ideas, technologies and innovations shaping what a sustainable future looks like for Victoria – from electric vehicles to ‘circular economy’.
We are also increasingly concerned about climate change.
In 2023, more Victorians than ever before are aware of the impact that climate change has on the environment and their health and wellbeing. 26% now believe climate change is one of the top three issues of importance. -
Most Victorian households are not built to withstand the changes in seasonal temperatures, with our research indicating half have poor to extremely poor thermal quality. In the last 5 years, 40% of homeowners say they have made adjustments to improve thermal performance and energy efficiency in their home. Despite these changes, there is still significant room for thermal improvement in Victorian homes.
Given the poor thermal quality of housing, significant proportions of Victorians reported uncomfortable conditions during winter, with 39% citing it was too cold and 44% citing it was too hot in summer.
One in 5 had to leave their home because it was too hot or cold to stay.
Boosting the capacity for these homes to maintain a comfortable temperature without the need for excessive heating or cooling is crucial if we are to reduce carbon emissions.
We also heavily rely on gas to power our homes, with 88% using at least one gas appliance. But while moving away from fossil fuels is seen as important by Victorians, their willingness to completely electrify their homes at present is low.
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No two Victorians are the same. The research tells us that a range of factors influence both our attitude to sustainability and our capacity to live sustainably – from where we live, to home ownership, family status and age group.
A key area for improvement is addressing the significant differences in thermal quality in the homes of renters and people in social housing when compared to homeowners, and ensuring that all Victorians can improve the quality of their homes and use cleaner energy to power them.
Recognising the unique needs of Victorians across all demographics is key to ensuring that no Victorian is left behind in adapting to our changing climate. Only through locally relevant, accessible and affordable solutions can we become a more sustainable state.
Find out more
For more information about the research and to contact us for a briefing.