Global Offset Experts: Australia commits to setting a carbon price from mid-2012.The Australian government has launched its 3rd attempt to force carbon polluters to pay for their emissions, revealing plans for a fixed-price scheme to commence in mid-2012, and promising not to bow to fierce political opposition.
"This is an essential economic reform, and it is the right thing to do," the Prime minister told Global Offset Experts at a recent press conference, pointing out that currently the climate could be considered as a national threat, only weeks after the nation experienced record floods and a massive cyclone. "Can I make it very clear that in the debate that will ensue, I am not intending to take a backwards step," Gillard highlighted. As the globe’s largest exporter of coal, Australia is one of the top per-capita carbon emitters among developed nations, due to a reliance on coal for almost 80% of its power generation. The ruling Labor party, which came to power in 2007, has promised to cut carbon emissions but has seen its previous two attempts collapse in parliament as a result of insufficient support in the upper house Senate. Gillard, however may yet succeed where her predecessor failed with her new framework deal already supported by her minority government’s partners, including the Green part which opposed the previous efforts on the grounds that they were too weak. A number of critical details are still to be agreed with the Green party though, including the actual starting price and the level of compensation to be paid to the affected industries or households. "This represents progress but there's disagreement in parliament about the level of ambition for the carbon price and that translates into uncertainty," # # # GLOBAL OFFSET EXPERTS’s green investments bring environmental stewardship together with a potent economic model which protects and renews while delivering top returns to investors. End
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