Almost two in three Australians support making big companies pay to emit carbon pollution, a new poll commissioned by an environmental group shows.
The ReachTEL poll conducted for WWF-Australia also found more people supported a move to an emissions trading scheme (41 per cent) than opposed it (33 per cent).
However there still wasn't a majority in support and a quarter of respondents were undecided which course of action was better, just days after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced an early move to a trading scheme.
More than half of those surveyed thought Australia should move from a greenhouse gas reduction target of five per cent by 2020 to one of 15 per cent or more.
Almost a third thought it should be 25 per cent or more.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
WWF-Australia spokeswoman Kellie Caught said the poll results showed Australians backed the basic principle of an emissions trading scheme, that companies pay when they pollute.
"The support for a stronger target on pollution reduction should send a clear message to all sides of politics that Australians want us to do more on climate change," she said in a statement.
ReachTEL surveyed 3190 people around the country last Thursday.
