Submission to the Senate Inquiry into Australia’s Response to Global Warming
21 March 2000
The Business Council of Australia is a signatory to the Australian Industry Greenhouse Network (AIGN) submission to the Senate Inquiry into Australia’s Response to Global Warming October 1999.
The AIGN included the:
- Australian Aluminium Council
- Australian Automobile Association
- Australian Coal Association
- Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association
- Business Council of Australia
- Cement Industry Federation
- Electricity Supply Association of Australia
- Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries
- Minerals Council of Australia
- Plastics and Chemical Industries Association
- Pulp and Paper Manufacturers Federation of Australia.
The submission offers support for Australia’s commitment to accept a fair share of the burden in a global response to the global problem of climate change, while not compromising the competitiveness of Australian industry.
With much of Australia’s industry competing – in both export and domestic markets – with producers in countries where emissions are unconstrained, there is considerable risk and uncertainty associated with the issue of Australia’s greenhouse policy response.
The submission argues that the appropriate action is to pursue policies that are both flexible and cost-effective in their own right and which also lay the foundations to achieve further emissions reduction.