climate change, Climate Change action
Q. Now that the carbon tax has been repealed, which of the following actions on climate change would you most support?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
| Incentives for renewable energy |
43% |
43% |
38% |
54% |
52% |
|
| An emissions trading scheme |
19% |
30% |
13% |
31% |
8% |
|
| The Government’s direct action policy |
5% |
4% |
7% |
1% |
6% |
|
| No action required |
14% |
7% |
25% |
1% |
13% |
|
| Don’t know |
19% |
18% |
18% |
13% |
21% |
The most favoured action on climate change was incentives for renewable energy (43%). Only 5% preferred the Government’s direct action policy while 19% favoured an emissions trading scheme.
The emissions trading scheme received higher support from Greens voters (31%) and Labor voters (30%).
25% of Liberal/National voters and 19% of those aged 45+ think no action is required.
climate change, Climate Change action
Q. Which of the following actions on climate change do you most support?
|
Total |
|
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote other |
|
Oct 13 |
Apr 14 |
|
| Keeping the carbon tax |
16% |
31% |
2% |
40% |
4% |
15% |
17% |
||
| Replacing the carbon tax with an emissions trading scheme |
22% |
29% |
16% |
28% |
23% |
21% |
22% |
||
| Replacing the carbon tax with the Liberal’s “direct action” plan |
9% |
1% |
20% |
7% |
10% |
15% |
12% |
||
| Dumping the carbon tax and not replacing it at all |
33% |
21% |
45% |
10% |
49% |
31% |
30% |
||
| Don’t know |
19% |
18% |
17% |
15% |
14% |
18% |
19% |
33% think the carbon tax should be dumped and not replaced, 22% support replacing it with an emissions trading scheme, 9% prefer the Liberal’s “direct action” plan and 16% think the Government should keep the carbon tax. Since this question was asked in April, support for dumping the carbon tax and not replacing it has increased from 30% to 33% and support for the “direct action” plan dropped 3 points to 9%.
Those most likely to support keeping the tax or changing to an emissions trading scheme were Labor voters (60%) and Greens voters (68%) and those with a university education (47%).
Those most likely to think the carbon tax should be dumped and not replaced were Liberal/National voters (45%) and other party voters (49%). Only 20% of Liberal/National voters preferred the Liberal’s “direct action” plan.
climate change, Climate Change action, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. How confident are you that climate change can be averted if we take action now?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Very confident | 13% | 16% | 11% | 18% |
| Somewhat confident | 48% | 52% | 45% | 45% |
| Not very confident | 30% | 27% | 32% | 30% |
| Not at all confident | 6% | 2% | 10% | 5% |
| Don’t know | 2% | 3% | 1% | 3% |
*Based on those who believe “climate change is happening”
Of those who believe climate change is happening, 61% are very or somewhat confident that climate change can be averted if we take action now. A majority of all voter groups are very/somewhat confident.
By age, 68% of aged under 35 are confident compared to 58% of those aged 55+.
climate change, Climate Change action, EMC, ER, Essential Report, Greens, Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Polling, polls
Q. Do you think the Government needs to take action on climate change as soon as possible, should they wait a few years before taking action or don’t they need to take any action at all?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Need to take action as soon as possible | 47% | 60% | 33% | 85% |
| Can wait a few years before taking action | 24% | 19% | 33% | 8% |
| Don’t need to take any action | 19% | 9% | 29% | 3% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 12% | 5% | 4% |
Nearly half of respondents (47%) believe that the Government needs to take action on climate change as soon as possible, 24% think they can wait and 19% think they do not need to take any action.
52% of respondents aged under 35 think they need to take action as soon as possible compared to 44% of those aged 55+.