Australia’s volunteer crisis threatens frontline climate action
New research on environmental volunteers reveals a worrying pattern: young volunteers are struggling with desperation as volunteer rates in Australia decline, meaning fewer people are stepping up when we need them most, writes Ben Goodsell.
AUSTRALIA’S ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION is built on a foundation that is quietly collapsing. As wildfires rage, species disappear and ecosystems collapse, the volunteer workforce that forms the backbone of conservation is shrinking and the emotional weight of climate change is reshaping who stays and who goes.
Volunteer rates across Australia have been falling for years, exacerbated by cost-of-living pressures and economic uncertainty. Accordingly Volunteer AustraliaA significant number of new volunteers are either withdrawn or released during their first year. Some organizations report that dropout rates are approaching alarming levels, reflecting global patterns where economic factors are making volunteering increasingly unviable.
This trend is potentially disastrous for environmental organizations that rely almost entirely on free labour, from bushland restoration groups to wildlife rescue services.
Climate Perspectives the project spent months surveying environmental volunteers across Australia to understand what makes them tick, what keeps them going and, most importantly, what might drive them away. The findings, now released in the 2025 inaugural report, paint a complex picture of hope, anxiety and generational divides that should concern anyone who cares about Australia’s environmental future.
Who shows up and why?
The study surveyed environmental volunteers using established psychological tools. Climate Change Hope Scale And Climate Change Anxiety ScaleIt has exposed a generational divide that cuts to the heart of the sustainability of climate action. Volunteers aged 30 and over reported significantly higher levels of hope about climate solutions, while younger volunteers under 30 showed higher levels of hopelessness.
Shreyasi BaruahThe 25-year-old young man involved in the project says:
By nature, I am generally an optimistic, positive and warm-hearted person. My feelings about climate change are a warning of this. I hear less talk about the environment with the people I spend time with. It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that our planet is burning, but we’re distracted by all the challenges of daily life.
But when I hear about or see someone’s efforts to take action for the environment, I feel hopeful. Because no matter the outcome, nature is always worth believing in and fighting for.
This emotional burden manifests differently depending on demographic characteristics. Female volunteers reported higher levels of functional impairment, the feeling that climate anxiety was disrupting their daily lives, compared to their male counterparts. Younger volunteers also reported more personal experiences with climate impacts; This is hardly surprising for a generation that spent its formative years watching climate disasters intensify.
But despite the anxiety and despair, the volunteers do not give up. Behavioral engagement scores were highest among all measures that included actions such as recycling, reducing consumption and active participation in environmental efforts.
The research found that volunteers are driven primarily by values: the belief that they can contribute to something important. Understanding (desire to learn through hands-on experience) and career development also featured prominently, particularly among younger volunteers, who scored significantly higher on career motivation than their older peers.
Interestingly, overseas-born volunteers reported stronger alignment with environmental values and higher behavioral commitment compared to Australian-born volunteers. This is important because cultural diversity appears to strengthen environmental volunteer networks. But as economic pressures increase and volunteer numbers decline, we risk losing the people most committed to environmental action.
retention crisis
The relevant truth is that motivation alone does not guarantee retention. The study found that volunteers who completed extended tasks (in this case writing detailed advocacy pieces on environmental issues) exhibited different motivation profiles than those who did not.
Those who persisted scored higher on career motivation and lower on values-based and social motivation. In other words, volunteers who are supported by external factors such as professional development may be more likely to accomplish challenging tasks, while those driven solely by values may have difficulty sustaining participation without adequate support structures.
This is consistent with broader research showing that training, development opportunities, relationship building, and role flexibility are critical retention strategies, resources that small, underfunded environmental organizations, in particular, often lack.
Shreyasi admits:
My biggest challenges to volunteering more definitely relate to cost-of-living pressure. If I didn’t have to worry so much [about] money… I would be on the front lines more often.
If volunteer numbers continue to decline, I fear we will be completely distracted. If our governments could act to solve larger, systemic problems (cost of living crises, students living in poverty) then more people would have a greater capacity to help.
Without volunteers, we will run out of role models in society who set an example for others to contribute to good causes.
The way forward
The research points to several critical needs. Environmental organizations should invest in volunteer training and development as essential infrastructure, not as an optional extra. They need to create pathways that accept different motivations, from career development for young volunteers to value-based engagement for others.
But the harsh reality is that most organizations don’t have enough resources to keep the lights on, let alone provide that support to their volunteers. Planet Ship Going into voluntary administration and losses worth millions of dollars Environmental Defenders Office There are examples in recent years of an industry being asked to do more with less, year after year.
Australia’s environmental future depends on people showing up. But if we want them to continue to emerge, we need to create the conditions that enable sustainable participation. This means meaningful government investment and policy support, philanthropic commitment, and systematic recognition that environmental civil society is a burden-bearing infrastructure, not a luxury.
Ben Goodsell is Director and Chief Scientist. Climate CenterHe holds postgraduate qualifications in engineering, geology and astronomy, as well as a Master of Oceanography.
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