A climate change poll conducted by AMI, State and NZI Insurance has revealed that a significant majority of New Zealanders want increased efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate-related hazards.
The survey, which is in its seventh year, highlighted growing concerns about climate change and its effects on New Zealand’s infrastructure and communities.
According to the poll, 65% of New Zealanders would like to see a stronger emphasis on reducing the impacts of climate hazards.
A total of 82% of respondents said the nation should concentrate on enhancing the resilience of its infrastructure and buildings. A further 80% support avoiding or reducing development in high-risk areas, while 75% recommend protecting existing buildings and infrastructure.
Amanda Whiting, CEO of AMI, State and NZI, emphasised the need to take mitigation measures.
“This reflects the need for practical steps which will lead to a real reduction in the natural hazard risk faced by some of New Zealand’s most exposed communities, so that we can keep them safe as the impacts of climate change grow.”
Recent extreme weather events, including the devastating North Island flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023, have heightened public awareness of climate risks.
The poll reveals that 68% of New Zealanders expect to be affected by climate hazards, with 90% anticipating more frequent and severe floods, and 87% expecting more extreme storms in the next 30 years.
Whiting said, “The North Island flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023 had a profound effect on our country and our communities, bringing home for many the very real impact of climate change on our lives.
“The number of claims and amount of money paid out only partially reflects the true social and economic cost of these events. We need to do a better job at reducing natural hazard risk, particularly for our most hazard-prone communities.”
The survey also revealed public sentiment on the government’s climate change response.
A total of 54% of New Zealanders believe the government should take the lead in addressing climate change. However, there is growing dissatisfaction with the response; for the first time, more respondents rated the government’s climate actions as ‘poor’ (40%) rather than ‘good’ (27%).
The proportion of New Zealanders who believe the country’s climate response is on the right track has dropped to less than a third, compared to 37% last year, with a significant increase in those expressing doubts about current measures.
Rising insurance premiums were also covered by the survey. Nearly 70% of respondents acknowledged that rising costs were influenced by the increasing impact of natural disasters. Roughly 34% view this as the main factor driving up premiums.
In response, 61% of New Zealanders believe that reducing climate hazard risks should be the focus to lower insurance costs.
In total, 45% of New Zealanders supported the idea of paying based on the specific risk faced, while only 8% agreed that everyone should pay the same amount regardless of risk. A mix of these approaches was favoured by 40% of respondents.
Whiting added, “It’s impossible to remove all risk – we will continue to experience floods, storms, earthquakes and other disasters, so we need a strong insurance industry to help people pick up the pieces and support a faster and more certain recovery.”
