Most Albertans want coal phased out, new poll suggests

A majority of Albertans want the coal industry phased out in this province, according to a new online poll released Wednesday.

Conducted by Abacus Data, the poll was commissioned by Progress Alberta, anon-profit organization advocating economic diversification and a greener environment.

The poll suggests 75 per cent of respondents agree that phasing out coal will improve the health of Albertans.

Another 66 per cent polled say phasing out coal will accelerate investment in clean-energy technologies.

Furthermore, the poll suggests more Albertans support the government's climate-change plan than those who oppose it.

Forty-eight per cent support the phase-out, while 36 per cent don't. A majority of Edmontonians and Calgarians back the policy.

A carbon tax is supported by 47 per cent polled, while 41 per cent are against it.

Forty-seven per cent want a limit set ongreenhousegas-emissions by theoilsands industry. But 37 per cent disagreed.

The poll surveyed a representative sample of 1,000 Albertans online between Dec. 2-7, 2015.

The margin of error for a comparable random sample of the same size would be plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.