Strong support to make polluters pay

Results from a WWF-Australia commissioned poll show Australians believe polluters should pay and the country needs a stroneger emissions reduction target.

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.

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.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world