Australian Companies swinging towards a price on Carbon

Yesterday, chief executive of BHP Billiton Marius Kloppers, called for ”a clear price signal” on carbon dioxide emissions, possibly including both a carbon tax and a limited carbon trading scheme covering power plants.

The momentum has started swinging again towards an emissions trading scheme as earlier this month the Clean Energy Council announced that nineteen energy companies have pledged their support for a price on carbon as it is crucial that Australia meets its emissions reduction target of 5 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020.

The policy has been supported by supported by Professor Ross Garnaut, former Prime Minister John Howard, former Coalition Leader Malcolm Turnbull, the Greens and the Labor Party. However, even though carbon price schemes have already implemented in Europe and New Zealand, there are several things to keep in mind about the disadvantages of engaging an emissions trading scheme or a carbon price.

Nonetheless, as companies begin to realize that failure to put a price on carbon will place carbon/energy-intensive businesses at a competitive disadvantage in a future because they will pay a higher price for their energy where carbon is priced globally suggests that there is greater alignment then ever between government and industry.

Present and future Solar Panel owners, greener pastures are finally in sight!

Written by Prateek Chourdia

MEngSc – Photovoltaics and Solar Energy, UNSW

Solar Energy Analyst

Solar Choice

© 2010 Solar Choice Pty Ltd

Sources:

http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/cec/mediaevents/media-releases/September2010/carbon-price-open-letter.html

http://www.smh.com.au/business/move-on-climate-bhp-billiton-urges-20100915-15cn4.html

Comments

  1. federal and local government should giving everyday people the chance to help save money as well as the plant. I am sure if companies who provide solar panels could come up with cheap pricing if every home owner was allow to install what is needed the pay it off in power bills like we do the ambulance fee’s or very low/no interest repayments to have homes become greener.

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