Most `want more climate-change action'

Australian
Tuesday 11/3/2008 Page: 6

AUSTRALIANS overwhelmingly support the ratification of Kyoto due to formally take effect today and most want the Government to show international leadership on reducing greenhouse emissions. Climate Institute Australia research to be released today has found that Australians support the introduction of stronger policies to reduce greenhouse pollution.

Polling commissioned by the institute found that only 7 per cent of Australians aged 18 and over oppose the ratification of Kyoto, with 64 per cent in support. Seventy-three per cent of those polled said that Australia should lead the world by introducing stronger policies to help reduce greenhouse pollution here.

Ninety per cent said the Government should "make homes more energy-efficient", 88 per cent said the Government should "ensure that new electricity generation comes from clean or renewable energy" and 87 per cent support government measures to reduce "emissions from cars." "The polling is emphatic," said institute chief executive John Connor. "Opposition to Kyoto ratification has withered away." Kevin Rudd ratified the Kyoto Protocol as the first official act of his Government last December.

The Government has committed to meeting its Kyoto target of emissions 8 per cent higher than 1990 levels, and has set a target to reduce them by 60 per cent on 2000 levels by 2050. Mr Connor said Australians strongly support the measures the Government had taken on climate change and wanted to see further action so Australia was viewed as a world leader in tackling the issue.

"The Rudd Government should treat these findings as an invitation to push forward with decisive policies and ambitious targets on reducing greenhouse pollution," he said. "To avoid dangerous climate change that will impact Australia more than almost any other developed country, we need reductions of 70 to 90 per cent from developed countries as a whole.

"Other countries are realising this. The UK is now in a formal public consultation process about whether to change its 60 per cent by 2050 target up to 80 per cent. "You've got both the Democratic presidential contenders in the United States at 80 per cent by 2050 and even Republican John McCain at 55 per cent." Mr Connor called for the Government to review its 2020 targets. "Short-term targets will reflect the level of urgency and priority given to tackling the problem of climate change," he said.

The research was done online by Auspoll as part of its monthly omnibus survey. The company surveyed a representative sample of 1215 Australians aged 18 years and over from March 4 to March 6.