'Thumping majority' oppose government cuts to ARENA

A massive Reachtel poll of 10,271 people has found a thumping majority of Australians oppose the government cutting $1 billion from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

And there is even stronger support for an emissions intensity scheme that would force high emissions power plants to reduce their emissions.

The poll, commissioned by the progressive Australia Institute think-tank and conducted across the country on Tuesday evening, has been released as the Climate Change Authority released a final report that backed some kind of market mechanism - such as an emissions intensity scheme - as part of the push to reduce the nation's emissions.

The Authority's report stated that an emissions intensity scheme "should be part of Australia's toolkit" and that "mechanisms of this type are capable of making significant emissions reductions in a way that is both flexible and scalable".

The ARENA is facing a billion-dollar funding cut by the Turnbull government in its so-called omnibus savings bill, which was introduced to the Parliament on Wednesday.

Read James Massola’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “New poll puts pressure on Senate,Labor to save renewable energy agency.”