Poll finds $20 a month the tipping point for voter support on net zero

Polling has uncovered exactly how much Australian voters are prepared to pay to reach net zero targets — and the figure swings widely between political affiliations.

Support for net zero falls away if it means eating less meat and paying $20 a month extra in energy bills, according to new research that shows Greens, Coalition and Labor voters have very different priorities around the target.

The figure was calculated by pollster Freshwater Strategy, which asked respondents to choose between two scenarios.

In the first Australia achieves net zero carbon emissions by 2050 but energy bills rise each month; in the second, Australia does not achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and energy bills stay about the same.

The pollster then tested at what price point a majority of the voters switch from between meeting the target and not meeting the target.

It also tested how people would react when they were told reaching net zero would mean eating less meat, getting rid of petrol and diesel cars, and household gas appliances by 2030, and jumping on fewer planes. It also tested differences in what Labor, Coalition and Greens voters were prepared to give up to reach the target.

There were stark differences between voters for different parties about how much they would pay and what they would give up to reach net zero. Picture: iStock

Overall the tipping point at which support for net zero turns negative is a jump of $10 and $20 in monthly energy bills. But, not surprisingly, voters of different parties had very different attitudes to the target.

Coalition voters were the least keen on paying to reach net zero, turning against it if it meant a $5 to $10 increase in their monthly energy bills.

Labor voters had a greater appetite for saving the world, prepared to endure higher bills of between $20 and $40.

The voters most prepared to put their money where their mouth was were Greens supporters, which perhaps reflects the fact the party represents some of the wealthiest areas of Australia.

But it appears even Greens have a tipping point: ­between $40 and $80 a month extra on their gas and electricity bills.

The pollster also asked people about their attitudes to trade-offs that might be ­required for Australia to be ­removed from what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called “the naughty corner” of countries rejecting climate change.

Limiting the consumption of meat was not popular with those who answered the poll.

The most popular position was there be “no additional ­restrictions on how Australians live”, while the least popular “limits on consumption of meat and other carbon-­intensive proteins”.

This was only slightly less popular than banning natural gas appliances by 2030, then banning petrol and diesel cars by the same year.

Of the choices offered, talking “slightly fewer” flights by 2030 received the least ­objections.

But again the differences ­between the supporters of different parties was stark.

Restrictions on the consumption of meat led to the largest drop in support for net zero from Coalition and Labor ­voters.

But for many Greens it would seem flying to ­Europe each winter was a net zero deal breaker, with restrictions on flights their biggest turn-off.

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Originally published as Poll finds $20 a month the tipping point for voter support on net zero