In the lead-up to the election, digital advertising has been dominated by climate and energy groups, suggesting a concerted push to force the issue into the spotlight.
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| Peter Dutton in Thargomindah, Queensland following major flooding in the region, March 31, 2025 (Image: AAP/James Brickwood) |
The 2022 federal election was dubbed the “climate election”.
The two major parties clashed on climate policy. The country swung toward parties and candidates who pledged to do more about climate change. The teals burst onto the scene and the Greens had their best electoral showing ever.
In 2025, both major parties seem to be doing everything they can to avoid mentioning climate at all.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the word “climate” three times in his press conference on the day he called the election: once to promote his record of “meeting the challenge of climate change” and twice to criticise the Liberal Party (and only one of those times in prepared remarks). Opposition Leader Peter Dutton didn’t mention it at all.
One of the early election battlegrounds has been over energy policy — but entirely divorced from the context of climate change. Dutton’s nuclear policy, on which the Liberal Party has gone completely silent, and his promise to force gas giants to reserve supply for domestic use, are both being framed and now analysed through the lens of costs, not climate, in the media.
The issue has slid in the minds of voters, too. It was ranked seventh in the Australian Financial Review’s Freshwater poll of voters’ top concerns. Other polls have found the issue has slid back since last election (although The Conversation’s Michelle Grattan notes some polling suggesting that voters connect cost of living — the top issue according to polling — and climate change).
Whether the major parties’ decision to ignore climate change is the cause, the effect or some combination of the two, it’s clear that voters are less interested in this issue this election so far.
But no matter what some want, there’s no ignoring the issue. Protesters have interrupted speeches by Albanese, Dutton and Treasurer Jim Chalmers in the past few weeks. Albanese’s election call was delayed by Cyclone Alfred, and now outback Queensland is experiencing the worst flooding in 50 years.
You can also look at which groups are spending money to promote which issues. A quick glance at political digital advertising reveals that, outside of the parties, climate and energy groups have dominated spending in the lead-up to the election.
In the month to March 25, advertisers grouped as specifically “pro-climate” by digital advertising analysis group Who Targets Me were the fourth largest spenders, spending $671,493 on Meta advertising on platforms like Facebook and Instagram during that period. This came after the Liberal Party, “others” and independents.
But even this understates the issue: “others” spending — which was second with $972,751 — was led by pages Climate 200, pro-climate “news organisation” Hothouse Magazine, and Nuclear for Australia. Third was independents, whose top spenders included Kate Chaney, Monique Ryan and Ben Smith, all candidates supported by Climate 200.
Are these groups picking up that the electorate cares more about climate than the major political parties and, to an extent, the media do? Or is this an attempt to force the issue when climate policy is otherwise being shut out of the mainstream political discourse?
It’s still early days and many voters are only starting to pay attention. Perhaps we’ll look back and realise that climate change is already changing our world so much that every election from now on will be a “climate election”.
Links
- Election diary: Energy is in the foreground – but climate change is ‘in the shadows’
- Environment the big loser in this year's Federal Election
- Australia decides: Cost of living, climate change and healthcare to dominate election campaign
- This election, here’s what Australians across age groups and postcodes want from the next government
- 2025 Climate Policy Tracker
- Take the pledge: I’m voting climate
- The 2025 federal budget fails the millions of voters who want action on Australia’s struggling environment
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