Australian community members' attitudes toward climate change impacts at the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

This research identified homogenous groups of Australian community members that share similar attitudes toward climate change impacts within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA). A questionnaire was administered to a random sample of adult residents living near the GBRWHA (n = 1,623) in order to assess public awareness of climate change, concern about associated impacts, and involvement in mitigation strategies. Five distinct segments of the survey population were identified using three attitudinal dimensions drawn from the Theory of Planned Behavior. Study findings illustrated that each group perceived a variety of social, commercial, and environmental threats to the health of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem and reported different levels of intended and carried-out environmentally responsible behaviors. Recommendations are provided for how to engage the identified groups of survey respondents in environmentally responsible behaviors.