THREE-QUARTERS of Australians believe that the price of fossil fuels should be increased to deal with climate change and 92 per cent believe a legally binding global climate deal is urgent and should be made at the conference to be held in Copenhagen in December.
Their views are echoed by people from most other countries who took part in a simultaneous global consultation on climate change at the weekend organised by the Danish Board of Technology.
The project, Worldwide Views on Global Warming, had demographically representative groups of citizens deliberating in 38 countries, sending strong messages to their political leaders on the issue of climate change action.
Chinese bucked the trend, with only 51 per cent believing a global deal should be made at the United Nations climate conference. This compared with 90 per cent of Americans, 67 per cent of Russians and 91 per cent of Indonesians.
A surprisingly consistent majority (about two-thirds to three-quarters) in most countries believed that fossil fuel prices should be increased, although about half the respondents in China and Indonesia believed prices should be increased only in high-income countries.
Russia was an exception, with a significant minority of 36 per cent against any regulation of prices.
An overwhelming majority of respondents globally (Australia 94 per cent, Indonesia 92 per cent, US 90 per cent, China 89 per cent and Russia 86 per cent) believed their government should give high priority to joining any deal made in Copenhagen.
Worldwide, 4400 people took part in the consultation.
Kelsey Munro