The new solar rebate announced by Peter Garrett will not reduce Australia’s emissions by one kilogram below the five per cent emissions target announced in the White Paper because, under the CPRS, the unfortunate reality is that every time households reduce their energy use or install solar panels, all they will be doing is freeing

The proposed CPRS announced by the Prime Minister is one of the most generous industry assistance packages in Australian history and should be known as the Carbon Polluter Rescue Scheme. What began as a scheme designed to make polluters pay has evolved into a scheme in which the polluters get paid billions of dollars.

The introduction of an Australian emissions trading scheme in 2010 makes it pointless for households to reduce their energy use.

The Rudd Government hopes to incorporate agriculture into its Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) in 2015 but this initiative is unlikely to be successful.

The Treasury modelling of the economic cost of tackling climate change shows that, despite all the scaremongering by some industries, the economic costs associated with reducing greenhouse gas emissions are trivially small.

Calls for the introduction of accelerated depreciation provisions for investment in clean energy. Because the price of this equipment is likely to fall sharply in the coming years, firms which invest today will experience ‘first mover disadvantage’.

The electricity industry generates around 45 per cent of Australia’s carbon emissions so it is surprising to see so little R&D in this industry. The electricity industry should be at the forefront of exploring lower emissions and renewable technologies, but the figures suggest the industry is not serious about doing so.

Calls for the introduction of accelerated depreciation provisions for investment in clean energy. Because the price of this equipment is likely to fall sharply in the coming years, firms which invest today will experience ‘first mover disadvantage’.