Concern about climate change slips - survey

A new survey suggests concern about climate change has slipped slightly from a year ago.

The UMR Research poll done on behalf of the Greenhouse Policy Coalition, which represents some of the larger greenhouse gas emitters, said climate change rated bottom in order of importance to people out of a list of 10 common issues -- a drop from eighth out of nine issues in the same survey last year.

Those issues in 2010 were (in order of concern) cost of living, health, education, ethics in business, environment, effect of the economy on household, taxes, employment, standard of living compared with other countries and climate change.

The proportion of people agreeing that climate change was a serious issue fell from 42.6 percent last year to 36.3 percent, the survey showed.

The coalition's executive director, David Venables, said the results of the survey reinforced the Government's decision to moderate the impact of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the need to fine-tune it to keep in step with New Zealand's main trading partners -- which lagged in implementing their own schemes -- and the rest of the world.

The survey found:

* 23.4 percent of people agreed New Zealand should reduce its emissions, even if it meant reducing the standard of living -- down from 34.9 percent last year;

* 38 percent disagreed that New Zealand should take part in a global emissions trading regime if it cost people $5 each a week -- up from 32.1 percent;

* 18.1 percent agreed New Zealand should cut emissions even if it costs jobs -- down from 24.3 percent;

* 45.1 percent agreed with the statement "controlling emissions is mostly about saving our planet -- we shouldn't be quibbling too much about money", down from 55.9 percent last year;

* 65.6 percent were in favour of switching to sustainable technologies even if there was a cost -- down from 78.3 percent;

* 32.3 percent gave a rating between six and 10 (10 being totally fair) when asked if putting a price on carbon was a fair way of reducing emissions -- down from 37.9 percent last year;

* 33.9 percent agreed with the statement "I feel fully informed about the ETS" -- up from 29.4 percent;

* 45.8 percent agreed that climate change was happening and caused by humans -- up from 44.2 percent;

* 32.7 percent felt there was evidence climate change was happening, but were uncertain whether humans were the cause -- down from 35.7 percent;

* 19.3 percent said the climate change problem effectively didn't exist -- up from 17.5 percent.

The poll of 503 New Zealanders aged 18 and over was conducted in late July and early August and has a margin of error of 4.4 percent.