POLLUTERS PROFIT, PUBLIC PAYS

Tuesday, 24 February 2009 02:26

"The government was warned about this problem four months ago by 19 environment and business groups but has done nothing – it has spent all its resources on helping the polluters.  Under the current design rules for the CPRS, households trying to do their bit to reduce carbon emissions will only be making emissions permits cheaper for aluminium smelters and coal fired power stations," said Jeff Angel, Director of the Total Environment Centre.
"If that is what the government wants households and businesses aiming to be carbon neutral to do, then they should be clear about that, and just tell households to send a cheque to their local polluter. It'd be much faster and a lot more transparent," continued Angel.
"We’ll be asking the Senate’s proposed Emissions Trading Inquiry to look into this issue – the government has failed to respond to important and genuine concerns by hundreds and thousand of people who want to support green business, not polluting business as usual.
“Households should be allowed to make a difference to Australia's emissions. All this requires is making the simplest of changes to the CPRS accounting rules whereby Australian emissions permits are retired at no cost, for each tonne of emissions reductions that households deliver."