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  • Dec, 2010

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    Importance of Climate Change Issue

    Q. Compared to other issues that are often raised in politics – like the economy, healthcare, immigration, etc –  how important to you personally is the issue of tackling climate change?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total important 61% 73% 50% 87%
    Total not important 35% 25% 47% 12%
    Very important 24% 31% 15% 55%
    Quite important 37% 42% 35% 32%
    Not so important 26% 18% 35% 11%
    Not at all important 9% 7% 12% 1%
    Don’t know 4% 3% 3% –

    61% think tackling climate change is a very important (24%) or quite important (37%) issue – 35% think it is not important. 73% of Labor voters and 87% of Greens voters think it is important while Liberal/National voters are split (50% important/47% not important).

    Those most likely to think it is important were women (65%) and aged 18-35 (68%).

    Of those who believe that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity, 47% think it is a very important issue and 46% a quite important issue.

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  • Dec, 2009

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    Importance of Copenhagen Conference

    Q. World leaders are currently meeting in Copenhagen to discuss a global approach to climate change. How important do you think this meeting is?

    %
    Total important 73%
    Total not important 21%
    Very important 39%
    Quite important 34%
    Not very important 12%
    Not at all important 9%
    Don’t know 6%

    73% of people think that the meeting in Copenhagen to discuss a global approach to climate change is important, 21% think it is not important and 6% don’t know.

    Labor (84%) and Green (89%) voters were more likely to think the meeting is important, while Coalition voters were more likely to think the meeting is not important (37%).  59% of Coalition voters think the meeting is important.

    Respondents aged 18 – 24 were more likely to think the meeting is important (75%) while those aged 55 years and over were more likely to think it is not important (23%).

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  • Dec, 2009

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    Climate Change and Copenhagen

    Q. And how likely do you think it is that the world leaders meeting in Copenhagen will reach agreement on a global approach to climate change?

    %
    Total likely 19%
    Total not likely 74%
    Very likely 3%
    Quite likely 16%
    Not very likely 53%
    Not at all likely 21%
    Don’t know 8%

    While most people surveyed think the meeting in Copenhagen is important, only 19% think that it is likely that the meeting in Copenhagen will reach agreement on a global approach to climate change.  74% don’t think it is likely an agreement will be reached and 8% don’t know.

    Labor voters were more likely to be optimistic that an agreement will be reached (26%) while Coalition voters were more likely to think reaching agreement is not likely (86%).  16% of Green voters think it is likely and 78% think it is not likely agreement will be reached.

    Results were similar across the different age and gender groups. Comments »

  • Dec, 2009

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    Political Party Positions on the ETS

    Q. Whose position on the ETS and tackling climate change do you most agree with?

    %
    Kevin Rudd and Labor 24%
    Tony Abbott and the Coalition 27%
    Bob Brown and Greens 17%
    Don’t know 32%

    When it comes to the position that various parties have on the ETS and tackling climate change, 27% of people agree with the position of Tony Abbott and the Coalition, 24% agree with Kevin Rudd and Labor and 17% agree with Bob Brown and the Greens.  32% of people don’t know which position they agree with regarding an ETS and tackling climate change.

    The results followed party lines – Labor voters were more likely to agree with Labor’s position (49%), Coalition voters were more likely to agree with the Coalition (67%) and Green voters were more likely to agree with the Green’s position (80%).   30% of Labor voters, 21% of Coalition voters and 9% of Green voters don’t know which position they agree with most.

    Males were more likely to agree with the position of Abbott and the Coalition (31%), while females were more likely to indicate that they don’t know (36%).

    People aged 55 years and over were more likely to agree with Abbott and the Coalition regarding climate change and an ETS (42%).

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  • Nov, 2009

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    Emissions Trading Scheme

    Q. Thinking about climate change, the Government says legislation for an emissions trading scheme needs to be passed before the world summit on climate change being held in Copenhagen in December. The Opposition says Australia should delay making any decisions on an emissions trading scheme until after the world summit. Who do you agree with most?

    33% of people surveyed agree with the Government’s view that legislation for an emissions trading scheme needs to be passed before the world summit on climate change being held in Copenhagen in December.  38% agree with the view of the Opposition in that Australia should delay making any decisions on an emissions trading scheme until after the world summit, and 29% don’t know.

    The number of people that agree with the view of the Opposition has increased slightly (+2%) since we last asked this question in June, while the number of those that agree with the Government has stayed the same.

    People aged 55 years and over were more likely to agree with the view of the Opposition’s view that the introduction of an emissions trading scheme should wait until after the world summit (55%), while people aged 34 years or less were more likely to agree with the Government’s view regarding the introduction of the scheme before the world summit (38%).

    Males were more likely than females to agree with the view of the Opposition on this issue (44% v 34%).

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