Survey reveals Australians' attitudes towards clean energy transition

Release time：2024-05-22 10:25:58 Source：International Interplay news portal

CANBERRA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- A vast majority of Australians are in favor of a fast or moderately-paced green energy transition, a survey has found.

National science agency the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) on Wednesday published the results of the most comprehensive survey of Australians' attitudes towards the renewable energy transition.

It found that 47 percent of respondents were in favor of a moderately-paced transition scenario and 40 percent in favor of a faster shift, with only 13 percent preferring a slower transition.

More than 80 percent of over 6,700 participants in the survey identified affordability in their top three priorities of the energy transition. Other popular priorities included energy self-reliance, which was chosen by 71 percent of respondents, and the reduction of carbon emissions at 56 percent.

"The survey showed that most Australians supported the energy transition, but opinions varied about the rate and extent of change," Andrea Walton, the senior social scientist on the project from the CSIRO, said in a media release.

Over 80 percent of respondents said they would at least tolerate living within 10 kilometers of renewable energy infrastructure.

However, it found acceptance of living near transmission lines was lower than other forms of infrastructure.

Acceptance was highest for solar farms, with 88 percent of respondents saying they would at least tolerate living near one.

The survey of people in every state and territory across capital cities and regional areas was conducted between August and September 2023 in partnership with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

It found responses were similar between metropolitan and regional communities but that the latter were more negative towards the transition, which Walton attributed to them being more likely to live near developments.

（Editor:Fu Bo）

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