Abstract
This paper contributes findings from a social survey conducted to examine individual awareness of coal’s non-renewability, environmental issues, and home energy behaviours. The sample exhibited high (86%) awareness of coal’s non-renewability and 74% self-identified energy issues as key environmental problems affecting their lives. Government presumptions that education campaigns are needed to increase Australian public awareness of carbon emissions and may induce pro-environmental energy behaviours are questioned. Energy issue awareness failed to significantly affect 4 home energy behaviours (choosing A/C settings, type of home temperature control, turning lights off in unoccupied rooms, turning appliances off standby) for ‘environmental sustainability’ reasons. Findings support international research documenting disparity between individual awareness of environmental issues and pro-environmental actions for such issues. Consistent with prior research, age was the most significant factor affecting pro-environmental energy behaviours. Older individuals were most likely to consider environmental sustainability for home temperature and A/C settings. Education, age, and energy issue awareness did not significantly affect ‘low stakes’ consumption behaviours (appliances or lights) for environmental reasons. In locations with non-renewable energy, policy and education initiatives improving knowledge that aggregated carbon consumption from seemingly minor individual behaviours may reduce environmental degradation may make ‘unnecessary’ energy consumption less culturally normative or acceptable.
Highlights
This paper presents social survey findings about environmental sustainability knowledge and home energy usage decisions displayed by individuals at an Australian university
Government energy policies broadly note the environmental benefit of reducing energy consumption, conceptual frameworks focus on socioeconomic investigations of energy consumption, with most exploring how the socialisation processes affects youth and other family members’ modification of household energy practices [5, 7, 9]
It further questions if the relevance of age found internationally for energy consumption rates exist in the Australian sample
Summary
This paper presents social survey findings about environmental sustainability knowledge and home energy usage decisions displayed by individuals at an Australian university. A growing body of international energy research shows household income, family composition, community type, and other demographics predict household energy consumption, with most using consumer economics frameworks to investigate appliance usage rates [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. This article presents key findings from an Australian sample to investigate if environmental knowledge and awareness affects environmental behaviours regarding home energy usage. It further questions if the relevance of age found internationally for energy consumption rates exist in the Australian sample.
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