Canberra Times
Friday 14/12/2007 Page: 5
An overwhelming 86 per cent of Australians say the new Rudd Government should move swiftly to cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, a new poll shows. The Greenpeace-commissioned Newspoll survey, which polled 1202 adults this month, also found strong support for phasing out and replacing coal-fired power stations with renewable energy sources by 2010. "Australians clearly understand the link between burning coal and climate change," Greenpeace spokesman Steve Campbell said yesterday.
"They want to see the nation end its reliance on coal by beginning to phase out coal-fired power and move to renewable energy technologies." The survey found 86 per cent of Australians supported new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd introducing policies that would ensure Australia's greenhouse gas emissions began to decrease within the next three years. And 77 per cent also said the Government should begin phasing out existing coal-fired power stations and replacing their with renewable energy generation by 2010.
When asked about Australia's export coal industry, 73 per cent of respondents said coal exports should be capped or reduced. "Reducing our emissions matters to the Australian public but the results show they also want to see Mr Rudd take global responsibility by adopting policies that will see coal exports stay at current levels or decrease," Mr Campbell said.
Labor's existing climate policies would see total emissions increase to 15 per cent over 1990 levels by 2020, but cuts of 25 to 40 per cent were needed to stop global warming "topping the danger threshold." "This week Mr Rudd has the opportunity to show leadership at the Bali climate talks and help gain consensus on the 25-40 per cent range of reductions. "This poll shows that such a move would be extremely popular with the people of Australia, who delivered Mr Rudd a firm mandate at the last election, and want him to take even stronger action by reducing Australia's emissions within his first term."
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