Emissions Trading

Coverage of the BCA submission to the Prime Minister’s Emissions Trading Task Group as reported in various publications including The Australian, The Australian Financial Review and The Age.

‘… the BCA says Australia’s ability to address climate change will depend on the strength of the economy needed to fund low-emissions technologies and the transition to a lower-emission economy. “Some have argued for an immediate start to phasing out those sectors of the Australian economy which contribute most to emissions, without any apparent regard to how the livelihoods and lifestyles of all Australians are directly and indirectly linked to our current high-emission domestic and global economy”, the submission says.’  

From ‘No Quick Fix to Climate Change, Warns Business’ by Matthew Warren, The Australian,
15 March 2007, p. 4.

The release yesterday of the submission by the Business Council of Australia (BCA) clearly favours emissions trading ahead of a carbon tax, its rival economic policy tool. Representing a broad church of the biggest companies in Australia, the BCA’s fast-evolving views on a policy response to climate change are significant because of influence of its membership and the wide range of views they must try to embrace.

From ‘Business Ticks Emissions Trading as Low-Cost Choice’ by Matthew Warren, The Australian,
15 March 2007, p. 21.

A BCA policy director, Maria Tarrant, said long-term incremental change was the key to averting the worst consequences of climate change. ‘We can’t have knee-jerk election cycle policy, it needs to look out 40 or 50 years,’ she said.  

From ‘Business Calls for Long-Term Green Goals’ by Angus Grigg, The Australian Financial Review, 15 March 2007, p. 5.

‘ ... the politically influential Business Council of Australia yesterday endorsed a national emissions trading scheme. In a submission to Prime Minister John Howard’s taskforce on emissions trading, the council says it is unlikely a global emissions trading scheme will emerge soon, so it is more realistic to develop a domestic scheme that will link with others.’  

From ‘Business Divided on Emissions Trading’ by Katharine Murphy, The Age,
15 March 2007, p. 6.

The Business Council of Australia is still considering the potential for a national emissions scheme, and is expected to flag a possible national greenhouse strategy and outline principles for a global trading regime when it releases its submission today.

‘Big Energy Users Want “Green” Technologies’ by Matthew Warren, The Australian,
14 March 2007, p. 4.