Most Australians are keen to see their country greatly increase the proportion of renewable technologies that are used to produce energy, according to a new survey. The findings come even as the Australian government has attempted to present renewable power as being too expensive and unreliable to be a valid alternative to damaging fossil fuels.

The research was carried out by the Climate Institute, which criticised the government's poor leadership and general inaction on the subject of clean energy.

2,660 people participated in the survey in Australia, and nearly three-quarters (71pc) were in agreement that climate change was occurring. This continued an earlier trend from 2014-15. 66pc also said that they were particularly worried about its impacts, and over half (57pc) believed that humans were the primary cause.

Furthermore, 96pc of survey respondents wanted to see renewable technologies used as Australia's main source of energy, with support as necessary from storage technology (58pc) and finally fossil fuel at 38pc. 59pc wanted to see coal phased out and replaced with clean power, and 72pc wanted to see the government leading the transition.

The Climate Institute's CEO, Olivia Kember, said that the past 11 years of the survey had shown continual growing support for renewable energy, which was seen as being a smart move economically and one that supported the future. Of the third that felt climate change was being exaggerated, most were Coalition or One Nation voters. However, broad enthusiasm and support for more renewables was generally non-partisan and evident across all demographics.

Survey respondents also linked electricity generation privatisation with the rise in electricity prices. Poor policy-making was also flagged up as a key driver of price rises. Over 40pc of survey respondents also thought that the government was doing poorly on energy and climate change.