Division on Climate Tactics

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Posted on: 10 - 10 - 2011

Article published in the Age Newspaper - http://www.theage.com.au/national/division-on-climate-tactics-20111006-1lboi.html

THE Coalition has dismissed the need to set out long-term plans to tackle climate change, saying Labor’s promise of deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is unrealistic.
The government has proposed a carbon trading scheme linked to a 5 per cent cut in emissions below 2000 levels by 2020 and an 80 per cent reduction by mid-century.
The opposition says it would meet the 2020 target through a grants scheme for tree planting, soil improvements and ”cleaning up” existing power stations, but has no policy beyond that.

At a debate hosted by The Age and the Committee for Melbourne, Coalition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt said it had a nine-year policy, with a review in 2015 to consider plans for after 2020.
”It is very easy to pledge and promise about 40 years from now but it has absolutely no connection to reality,” he said.
Parliamentary secretary for climate change Mark Dreyfus said the government’s scheme would provide certainty for power companies making investments in new electricity plants expected to last decades.
”We are setting a direction for increased use of renewables, increased use of lower-emitting power-generating sources including gas rather than coal,” he said.
Legislation before Parliament would introduce a fixed carbon price of $23 per tonne emitted from July, evolving into a trading scheme in 2015. The lower house is expected to vote next week.
The electricity industry has backed emissions trading as necessary to trigger new investment in baseload power, but some companies say the proposed model does not treat existing coal-fired power plants adequately.
The Coalition’s policy has been criticised by scientists and economists, who have said it was unlikely to reach the 5 per cent target.
Mr Hunt backed Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s statement that there was no reason not to build new brown coal plants.
”His point was that if you can do things cleanly, you can … whatever is about keeping Australia within our emissions trajectory, within our cap, then that is fine,” he said.
Greens MP Adam Bandt said there was no need to spend billions on new gas-fired power plants to replace coal when evidence supported renewable energy technology.
Mr Dreyfus said modelling suggested 40 per cent of power would come from renewables by 2050 – 100 per cent renewable energy would be too expensive ”any time soon”.