Australia is spending big to build a green metals industry, with the federal government committing billions to green iron and green aluminium alone. Yet most Australians know little to nothing about it. New figures from the Clean Energy Solutions Index show 46% of Australians have heard nothing at all about the green metals industry, and deep support, a composite score measuring personal support, perceived national benefit, community backing and willingness to advocate, sits at just 58 out of 100. But where support does exist, the strongest driver isn’t the long-term economic case or the environmental argument. It’s national self-reliance.
What are green metals?
Green metals means making things like iron, steel and aluminium with renewable energy instead of fossil fuels, cutting emissions from some of the country’s heaviest-polluting sectors. So how much of this has actually reached the public?
How many Australians have heard of the green metals industry?
Not many, and the number is heading the wrong way. Almost half of Australians, 46%, say they haven’t heard anything about establishing a green metals industry here, up from 42% just a year ago. Of the rest, only 17% say what they’ve heard has been positive, down from 20% in 2025. Another 16% say they’ve heard a mix of good and bad, 12% neutral, and 10% negative.
Put plainly: the loudest reaction to green metals in Australia right now is silence.
Across the Index, CESI found that support strengthened when positive noise strongly outweighed negative. Rooftop solar, where positive noise dominated, scored 82. Green metals, where almost half the population had heard nothing at all, scored 58.
How strong is support for a green metals industry in Australia?
Deep support for establishing a green metals industry sits at 58 out of 100, down one point from 2025. That places it below the national average of 61.
The score is built from four measures, and for green metals they tell a consistent story. 64% say it would be good for Australia. 63% personally support it. But perceived community support drops to 53%, and willingness to talk positively drops again to 52%.
What's convincing the people who already support a green metals industry?
The reasons people give for supporting green metals have changed. In 2026, 61% of supporters said they backed the industry because it supports Australian-made manufacturing and reduces reliance on imports. That put it ahead of the long-term economic case (57%, down 3 points) and jobs and economic benefit (57%, up 3 points).
What are the biggest barriers to support for green metals in Australia?
Cost still looms as the largest barrier to support. 49% of those who oppose a green metals industry point to the risk of higher costs for consumers, and 48% simply think it’s too expensive, both roughly in line with the 2025 CESI results.
Cost is not the only barrier. Among those who oppose a green metals industry, 36% say they do not see it as a reliable or efficient way to produce energy, and 35% consider the technology unproven. Concerns about whether green metals works sit alongside concerns about what it costs.
Nearly half of Australians have heard nothing about the country's emerging green metals industry.
Conclusion
Australia has committed billions to green metals, but 46% of the public has heard nothing about it. The building blocks for broader support are already there: the top reason people back this industry is that it means making things here and relying less on imports. The audience exists. The case resonates. The gap is communication, not conviction, and that’s a gap industry and government can close. Explore the green metals data in detail on the CESI dashboard.
Source note:
Findings are based on the Clean Energy Solutions Index 2026, developed by 89 Degrees East in collaboration with Boundless Earth. Findings draw on national surveys of 3,000+ Australian citizens, weighted to be representative of the adult population by age, gender and state.
See also our citation guidance for reusing Index figures.
