Two in five Japanese favour environment tax: Poll

TOKYO: Two in five Japanese would accept a special tax to protect the environment as public awareness of climate change grows, according to a government survey released on Saturday.   

More than 92 percent of those questioned said they are interested in environmental issues, according to the latest survey by the Cabinet Office, which started running similar polls in 1998.   

The survey reached 3,000 people from August 2-12 and received valid answers from 60 percent of the participants.  Forty percent said they would approve of the introduction of an environment tax charged on fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline. 

A July 2005 survey found only a quarter of respondents supported the introduction of an environment tax.