AUSSIES SAY YOU'RE WRONG ON GREENHOUSE, MR HOWARD

Sydney, 27 November, 1997

Greenpeace today used the Sydney Harbour Bridge to deliver the message to Prime Minister John Howard that the Australian people and the rest of the world overwhelmingly disagree with his push to increase greenhouse pollution levels.

In the lead-up to the climate change summit in Kyoto next week, Greenpeace suspended four giant flags from the Harbour Bridge carrying the messages "Aussies say you're wrong Mr Howard" and "The world says you're wrong Mr Howard." Eight experienced climbers suspended the flags after sunrise this morning.

The dramatic action draws world attention to the overwhelming results of three recent polls by independent companies, two commissioned by Greenpeace, in which Australians consistently rejected the Howard government's climate change policy.

The polls, taken before and after the Howard government's domestic greenhouse package, show that it has done little to convince Australians of the merits of the Howard position at Kyoto. This figures are consistent with comparative international, 24-country, polls by the Canadian-based Environmental Monitor.

"The Australian people are giving Mr Howard a clear message: 'You've got this wrong. We want you to act now to cut greenhouse gas pollution,'" said Greenpeace Chief Executive, Ian Higgins.

In the AC Nielson-McNair polls, 76% of respondents disagree with the Federal Government's belief that Australia should be allowed to increase its greenhouse gas emissions while other developed countries decrease theirs.

Meanwhile the tally of international leaders condemning Howard's climate change position is growing and now includes Britain, Japan, USA, Denmark, Germany and the Pacific states of Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands and the Cook Islands.

"There is no longer any doubt that the Australian people, in addition to the leaders of virtually every other country, overwhelmingly support action to cut, and not increase, our greenhouse pollution," said Greenpeace Chief Executive, Ian Higgins.

"The giant Greenpeace flags on the Sydney Harbour Bridge today reinforce what all Aussies know - that Australia should simply go solar," he said.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

Media Officer, Susan Cavanagh 0411 179 529

or

Jill Emberson at the Greenpeace National Office on 02 9261 4666.

SUMMARY

Greenpeace commissioned AC Nielsen-McNair to conduct two surveys, each canvassing more than a thousand voting age residents nationwide, on the Federal Government's stance on climate change.

The poll results of 22-23 November 1997 found that:

• 76% of respondents disagree with the Federal Government's belief that Australia should be allowed to increase its greenhouse gas emissions while other developed countries decrease theirs.
• 71% believe that cuts to greenhouse gas emissions should be legally binding for all countries, with only 23% believing they should be voluntary.
• 67% believe that the Government should be taking more action on global warming.
• 90% of Australians are concerned about the environmental effects of global warming in Australia.

  The poll results of 8-9 November 1997 found that:

• 70% believe that the Government should be taking more action on global warming.
• 90% of Australians are concerned about the environmental effects of global warming in Australia.

  A separate 24-country poll of 1000 people in each country, conducted in July for the Canadian-based Environmental Monitor, found that:

• 67% of Australians supported the view that "...we should assume the worst and take major action now to reduce human impacts on climate, even if there are major costs".
• Australia was the seventh highest result from 24 countries surveyed.

  A survey of Australian company directors by accounting firm KPMG and the Australian Institute of Company Directors found that 69% of those polled were in favour of the establishment of greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for Australia, with 70% of these thinking that the targets should be legally binding.