(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The vast majority of Australians is convinced that global warming is real, according to a poll by Newspoll published in The Australian. 84 per cent of respondents believe climate change is currently occurring, and 60 per cent want Australia to introduce a carbon emissions trading scheme regardless of what other countries do.

In 1998, several countries agreed to the Kyoto Protocol, a proposed amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The agreement commits nations to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Australia held a federal election in November 2007. Final results gave the Australian Labor Party (ALP) 85 seats in the 150-member House of Representatives. ALP leader Kevin Rudd was officially sworn in as prime minister in December, bringing an end to the 11-year tenure of Liberal leader John Howard as head of Australia’s government.

Rudd signed the Kyoto Protocol immediately after being sworn in, delivering on one of his electoral promises. In March 2008, the Kyoto Protocol came into effect.

Last month, the Rudd government introduced its Green Paper, which outlines an emissions trading scheme that could begin operations in 2010.

Rudd assured that he will try to talk Chinese leaders into taking action against climate change when he attends the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Beijing. The prime minister declared: "The economic cost of inaction on climate change now is far greater than the economic cost of action. (...) We are already the world’s hottest and driest continent. We run the risk of being hit hardest and earliest by climate change unless we can turn this around."

Polling Data

Thinking now about climate change, do you personally believe or not believe that climate change is currently occurring?

Thinking now about the federal government’s commitment to introduce a carbon emissions trading scheme, which of the following comes closest to your view?

Source: Newspoll / The Australian
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,200 Australian adults, conducted from Jul. 25 to Jul. 27, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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