| Scientists, others, vent anger over Rudd Government ETS delay | HE backlash over the Federal Government's decision to shelve its key policy to fight climate change continued today, with climate scientists, investors and union groups attacking the move.
Professor Andrew Blakers, a director of the Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems at Canberra's Australian National University, said the Rudd government would now have to use other measures to combat climate change.
He called on the Government to urgently introduce a comprehensive and rapid tightening of minimum energy performance standards for all products and buildings.
It should also substantially increase funding for the research and development and manufacturing of low-carbon technology, in particular solar, geothermal (underground heat) and wind for providing power to homes and businesses, he said.
Most scientists say annual global carbon emissions - mainly from using coal, oil and gas - must peak by about 2015 then start to fall away rapidly to give a decent chance of keeping average temperature and sea-level rises manageable for most countries.
Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, director of the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland, said the delay in the emissions trading scheme, under which large industrial polluters would pay for per-tonne greenhouse gas emissions, came as Australia's best scientists were calling for action "today, not tomorrow".
"Over 95 per cent of the world's most credible scientists are telling us that we are fast approaching the point in which Australia's future, and that of the rest of the world, will be in extreme jeopardy.
"The question that should be posed to the Government and the Opposition is: If not the ETS, then what?
"What firm action is the Government going to take to deal with this problem? Perhaps a good place to start is the fact that we supply the world with 30 per cent of its demand for coal. Shouldn't we rethink that?" Prof Hoegh-Guldberg said.
The Investor Group on Climate Change, which represents investors with over $500 billion in assets under management, today expressed its "frustration and disappointment" at the prospect of further delays to the implementation of a framework for pricing greenhouse gas emissions.
IGCC chairman Frank Pegan said: "The practical consequence of policy delay will be less investment in low emissions technologies and more investment in emissions-intensive assets."
He said the Rudd government's stated commitment to cut Australia's annual emissions by 5 per cent by 2020 was weak but investment in clean technology would have been helped by introducing a carbon pricing framework that could be adjusted later to tougher targets.
He said the longer Australia waited to implement a market mechanism and had an "inadequate 2020 target", the more expensive it would be for Australia's economy and for investors to adjust later when global carbon controls tightened.
A coalition of groups including the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Australian Council of Social Service, the WWF and Australian Conservation Foundation said it was deeply disappointed about the shelving of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.
"Australian businesses, jobs and investors have had a decade of delay in effective climate policy. Meanwhile, clean energy industries and jobs have been lost to competitors in China, South Korea and Europe, where ambitious clean energy policies are being implemented," the Southern Cross Climate Coalition said.
"Since October last year more than 150 new measures have been announced globally to reduce climate pollution and 32 countries now have emissions trading schemes. Around US$200 billion is expected to be invested in clean energy solutions in 2010.
"All political parties and many business leaders are responsible for jeopardising efforts to make the transition to a clean energy economy and growing Australian clean-energy jobs, investment and industries." | | 2010-04-28 20:01:57 Posted by: luke1 |
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