ACF statement on defeat of CPRS in Senate
Date: 2-Dec-2009
The Australian Conservation Foundation has expressed disappointment that the Senate has failed to pass a strong emissions trading scheme and reminded politicians that most Australians expected their representatives to take action on climate change.
“It is very disappointing our parliamentarians have again failed to establish a strong emissions trading scheme,” said ACF executive director Don Henry.
“Emissions trading is not the only way to respond to climate change, but putting a cap on emissions and a price on carbon would drive significant cuts to greenhouse pollution across our economy.
“The 20 per cent renewable energy target is the strongest piece of climate legislation we have. Without an emissions trading scheme Australia would need 12 climate laws of this scale to achieve emissions cuts of at least 25 per cent by 2020.
“Businesses should be absolutely clear about this: if we have no emissions trading scheme things will not revert back to the days before climate regulation.
“Instead we would move to a time of great uncertainty for business in which every pollution-intensive facility and industry in the country would face a multitude of climate laws and regulations from federal, state and local governments.
“Each year of delay will cost Australians more.
“Our politicians need to either go back and strengthen and pass the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, or introduce a large suite of very powerful alternative laws that directly regulate the thousand businesses covered by the CPRS.
“ACF will continue to campaign vigorously for a strengthened emissions trading scheme.
“We urge all politicians to remember that the majority of Australians expect them to deliver strong action on climate change.”