Coalition considers letting power companies buy offsets to cut emissions
The Turnbull government is hedging its bets on whether to allow energy companies to use external offsets to comply with their new 26% emissions reduction target. A new 12-page discussion paper obtained by Guardian Australia addressing the emissions reduction architecture of the national energy guarantee (Neg) suggests the government is yet to make a decision about whether domestic or international emissions offsets are in or out. Business has long supported the use of carbon credits as a low-cost means of reducing emissions, but the former prime minister Tony Abbott has styled himself as a fierce opponent, arguing offsets are a form of carbon trading where “Aussie consumers end up shovelling our money to foreign carbon traders – and we all know the potential for rorts there”. Despite the lack of clarity both on the use of offsets and the treatment of Australia’s emissions intensive trade-exposed (EITE) activities, the commonwealth is pushing the states and territories to sign off on further work on the Neg when energy ministers meet this Friday.
Posted by admin
on Apr 16 2018. Filed under News at Now.
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