Engaging over 6,400 participants, the survey included a focus on critical and energy transition minerals to measure community sentiment regarding the mining industry's role in renewable energy efforts.
The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy requires critical minerals such as lithium, silicon, high purity alumina and rare earth elements.
Conducted in collaboration with Voconiq, this latest survey marks the third instalment in a decade-long program of research, providing an update to the national surveys conducted in 2014 and 2017.
Key findings of the report
- Public trust in the mining industry has improved.
- 73% of respondents acknowledge that access to critical minerals is essential for achieving net zero emissions.
- 71% agree that mining is important to the Australian way of life.
- 72% believe mining will support Australia’s future prosperity.
- Despite strong support for mining, 61% agree that mining has negative environmental impacts.
- 32% of respondents believe Australia should reduce mining activity, even if it delays the transition to net zero emissions.
- Whilst the economic contribution of mining and its importance in supporting the energy transition are widely recognised, building trust, ensuring fair distribution of benefits, and actively engaging communities are key to maintaining the industry’s social license (52% of participants agree that mining communities receive a fair share of benefit).
Downloads
- Australian attitudes toward mining: full report
- Australian attitudes toward mining: full report TEXT version
- Australian attitudes toward mining: snapshot
- Australian attitudes toward mining: snapshot TEXT version
- Australian attitudes toward mining: dashboard (Voconiq)
- Australian attitudes toward mining: media release
Engaging over 6,400 participants, the survey included a focus on critical and energy transition minerals to measure community sentiment regarding the mining industry's role in renewable energy efforts.
The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy requires critical minerals such as lithium, silicon, high purity alumina and rare earth elements.
Conducted in collaboration with Voconiq, this latest survey marks the third instalment in a decade-long program of research, providing an update to the national surveys conducted in 2014 and 2017.
Key findings of the report
- Public trust in the mining industry has improved.
- 73% of respondents acknowledge that access to critical minerals is essential for achieving net zero emissions.
- 71% agree that mining is important to the Australian way of life.
- 72% believe mining will support Australia’s future prosperity.
- Despite strong support for mining, 61% agree that mining has negative environmental impacts.
- 32% of respondents believe Australia should reduce mining activity, even if it delays the transition to net zero emissions.
- Whilst the economic contribution of mining and its importance in supporting the energy transition are widely recognised, building trust, ensuring fair distribution of benefits, and actively engaging communities are key to maintaining the industry’s social license (52% of participants agree that mining communities receive a fair share of benefit).
Downloads
- Australian attitudes toward mining: full report PDF (5 MB)
- Australian attitudes toward mining: full report TEXT version TXT (69 KB)
- Australian attitudes toward mining: snapshot PDF (1 MB)
- Australian attitudes toward mining: snapshot TEXT version TXT (12 KB)
- Australian attitudes toward mining: dashboard (Voconiq)
- Australian attitudes toward mining: media release