Do Public Perceptions of the Environment Align With Empirical Measures?

To create effective environmental communications and policies, it is crucial to understand how laypeople, scientists, and experts perceive the environment. This study, based on a large-scale, nationally representative survey from Aotearoa New Zealand and scientific reports and literature, examines the similarities and differences in perceptions across ten environmental domains: air; protected natural areas; native bush and forests; marine environments; coastal waters and beaches; marine plants and animals; terrestrial (land and freshwater) plants and animals; natural environments in towns and cities; wetlands; and rivers and lakes. The New Zealand public rated their air quality highest and rivers and lakes lowest, aligning with empirical measures and expert opinions. For other domains, public perceptions varied, often seeing the overall state as better than what the scientific studies indicated. These discrepancies highlight the complex factors influencing perceptions, such as public awareness, visibility, familiarity with environmental issues, and media influence. By highlighting these similarities and differences, we aim to help laypeople, scientists, and policymakers recognise their perceptual biases, improve communication of scientific findings, and assist in creating regulations that involve the entire community in environmental improvement.