A strong pollution price will drive new clean energy

Setting a minimum price, or ‘floor’, for Australia’s carbon scheme will not make it incompatible with overseas schemes, the Australian Conservation Foundation said today.

“A floor price will not prevent Australia’s scheme from linking with international schemes, in fact, it is one of the main tools for driving the growth of the clean energy sector her at home,” said ACF climate change campaigner Claire Maries.

“If we want to spark a clean tech jobs boom, we need a firm price on pollution, not one that goes up and down like a yoyo.

“A floor price will provide a sound basis for investment in a clean economy,” she said.

“England’s scheme will have a price floor of £16 per tonne (A$24) from next year, rising to £30 a tonne (A$45) by 2020 – much higher than Australia’s $15 floor price – because David Cameron’s Conservative UK government wants to drive clean energy investment.

“And England’s scheme, with its floor price, will still be linked to the EU’s emissions trading scheme.

“Not long ago Britain had virtually zero renewable energy capacity, but last year renewables supplied nearly 10 per cent of the UK’s total electricity needs.

“Unlike many countries that are suffering from the global financial crisis, Australia has a great opportunity to reduce our emissions while our economy is strong.

“As we are among the world’s biggest emitters per head of population, we have a responsibility to reduce our reliance on polluting energy sources and make a rapid transition to a clean energy economy,” she said.