Australians far less aware of biodiversity loss than climate crisis, research finds

In South and Western Australia, there was a 64% reduction of Australian sea lion pups between 1977 and 2019 due to hunting and pups being caught in fishing gear. Photograph: Brad Leue/Alamy

Half of Australians are unaware of the extent of the nature crisis despite agreeing governments need to do more to support the environment, research by the Biodiversity Council suggests.

Graeme Samuel, the former competition watchdog head who chaired a 2020 review of Australia’s environmental laws, says a campaign is needed to bring public awareness of biodiversity decline in line with the understanding of the climate crisis.