Climate White Paper- Rudd Lets Polluters Off the Hook

Tuesday, 16 December 2008 00:19

“It means Australia will remain a high greenhouse polluting nation spiking international negotiations and our environmental reputation.  The design features announced today make polluting coal-fired electricity and the landfilling of waste economically attractive – that’s how perverse today’s announcement is,” said Jeff Angel, Executive Director of the Centre.

“The 2020 target of only 5-15% can mean only one of two things- Australia has either given up on avoiding dangerous climate change, or, Australia is looking to the international community to pick up its emissions reduction shortfall - effectively demanding that the international community subsidise its polluting industry,” said Mr Angel.

“This will undoubtedly complicate negotiations within the developed nation bloc and give major developing nations like India and China an excuse to avoid action.  A meaningful international climate agreement is in Australia’s interests - this is the negotiation’s equivalent of an own goal,” continued Mr Angel.

The benefits of Green Power purchases made by households is not recognised, creating household funded subsidies to industry.

“In addition to the disgraceful allocation of $3.9billion of taxpayer’s funds to coal fired generators, the hundred of thousands of households that continue to purchase Green Power will achieve nothing but free up emissions permits for dirty industry. By lowering the cost of emissions permits for polluters, households will be indirectly subsidising industry - for no environmental benefit. This could have been avoided with a simple accounting revision by retiring emission permits equivalent to GreenPower purchases,” said Mr Angel.

“Grandfathering emissions from waste landfilled to date for 60% of their emissions means the Rudd government will enhance the competitive position of landfill for waste disposal in Australia.  This means the true cost of dangerous ongoing methane emissions from this waste is ignored giving landfill an unfair advantage over opportunities for resource recovery and recycling, with its energy, water, and materials savings.”