Researchers from the universities of Newcastle and Melbourne are seeking to better understand the attitudes, beliefs and understanding of individuals, organisations and key opinion leaders regarding energy transition in Australia.
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An online survey, launched this week, forms part of a broader project to map out and forecast what the future of energy in Australia will look like in coming decades.
The survey is based on a political science concept known as advocacy coalitions - the idea that people within a coalition hold core beliefs that come together around ideas about social change.
"We are trying to see if there is a type of alignment between these particular belief systems that we have identified in the literature and individuals' views about energy," Dr Hedda Askland from the University of Newcastle's School of Humanities and Social Science said.
The survey seeks to gauge the priority respondents place on a healthy and sustainable environment compared to a strong economy.
"There could be a situation where people do not believe carbon emissions are a problem and we can maintain an approach to energy and carbon emissions as they are," Dr Askland said.
"The other scenario is the complete opposite - we are facing armageddon and we do need to reduce our focus on economic growth and wind our economy back for the sake of protecting the environment."
The research team is particularly interested in the attitudes of people in areas currently or potentially affected by energy change such as the Hunter, the Illawarra and far west NSW.
"One of the things we want to look at what happens in places like Muswellbrook and Singleton, areas that are going to be at the coalface of these changes," Dr Askland said.
"We want to better understand what people think about the future and see if we can find ways of supporting positive change."
The online survey is open until 7 September.
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Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
