The result follows devastating spring bushfires in NSW and Queensland and worsening drought conditions in many regional areas. These events have been widely attributed to climate change caused by global warming.
The survey shows anxiety about the state of the environment has risen steadily since the middle of the decade.
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The share of the population rating the environment among their biggest concerns was in single digits for much of 2014 and 2015,but in the two years since November 2017,that proportion has jumped from 14 per cent to above 32 per cent.
Ipsos social researcher Daniel Evans attributed the environment’s No. 1 ranking to two factors - widespread publicity of climate change agitation and protest,including by prominent members of the business community,and events in October and November linked to climate change,especially bushfires.
“There’s been both activism ... and there’s actual events attributed to climate change,” he said.
The cost of living ranked a close second to the environment in the November Issues Monitor survey followed by healthcare.