Australians are putting their jobs before climate change, a new poll shows.
The 2008 Lowy Institute Poll revealed that Australians want action on climate change, but not if it costs jobs or hits them in the back pocket.
A telephone poll of 1001 people conducted between July 12 and 28, 21 per cent were not prepared to pay anything extra on their electricity bill to help solve climate change.
Another 32 per cent favoured paying only $10 per month extra on their electricity bill to help solve climate change.
Lowy Institute executive director Allan Gyngell today said concern over economic issues had increased at the expense of the environment.
"This is one of a number of shifts in public opinion over the past year which the poll has revealed,`` Mr Gyngell said.
Last year, the issue of tackling climate change tied for first place with protecting Australian jobs as the most important foreign policy issue.
But this year, climate change dropped down the ladder of priorities to fifth place.
However, 83 per cent of those polled this year said the increasing scarcity of water would be a critical threat to Australia in the next 10 years.
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