GREENHOUSE GAS MITIGATION – GOVERNMENT POLICY – AUSTRALIA

Time to fix power shock

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Mark Ludlow, Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 9-Jun-17

Professor Alan Finkel will release his final report on energy reform on 9 June 2017. Finkel is expected to recommend adoption of a Low Emissions Target (LET) scheme as the best way forward for meeting Australia’s energy needs in a low emissions environment, but he will leave the Federal Government to decide what "carbon emission" baseline to use. He will also advise that power companies must give three years’ notice when closing down a power generator, and that storage capacity should be a feature of any "new generation investment".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, ACTEWAGL, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, GRATTAN INSTITUTE

PM rejects advice on carbon plan

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 8-Dec-16

The Federal Government has decided against considering a carbon scheme for the electricity sector and thus ignored advice from Chief Scientist Alan Finkel. In early December 2016, Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg suggested that such a scheme could be considered under Finkel’s review of Australia’s National Energy Market. He subsequently rejected this scenario, under pressure from Senator Cory Bernardi and Industry Minister Christopher Pyne.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE

PM rules out carbon price

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Original article by Sarah Martin
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 7-Dec-16

The Australian Government will proceed with its review of its Direct Action climate change policy, but Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg says introducing an emissions intensity scheme will not be on the agenda. A number of Coalition MPs have warned against the introduction of any policy that resulted in higher electricity prices, including a carbon tax or an emissions trading scheme. However, the Opposition has indicated that it supports an emissions intensity scheme.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY COUNCIL, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

One Nation may pull the plug on renewable energy

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Original article by Graham Lloyd
The Australian – Page: 6 : 11-Jul-16

The Coalition and the Australian Labor Party both support the introduction of renewable energy targets. However, a rise in electricity prices in some states may make the introduction of renewable energy targets more difficult, while One Nation opposes such targets and wants renewable energy subsidies to be abolished. Climate Institute CEO John Connor has cautioned against allowing clean energy and climate reforms to be derailed.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY, CLIMATE INSTITUTE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET COMMISSION

ALP’s climate policy ‘to leave some in dark’

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Original article by Rick Morton
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 29-Apr-16

Welfare groups are concerned about the Australian Labor Party’s new climate change policy on low-income households if it wins the 2016 federal election. Labor says the policy will have a limited impact on electricity prices, but Welfare Rights Network Sydney’s Gerard Thomas argues that compensation will be necessary and it must be more equitable than that provided under Labor’s carbon tax. The Labor policy includes an emissions trading scheme and sourcing 50 per cent of the nation’s electric power from renewable energy by 2030.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, WELFARE RIGHTS NETWORK SYDNEY, COUNCIL ON THE AGEING, COMBINED PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS ASSOCIATION OF NEW SOUTH WALES INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Shorten leaves Gillard’s carbon policy behind

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 28-Apr-16

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the Federal Government’s Direct Action policy will be abolished if the Australian Labor Party wins the 2016 election. Labor will aim for a 45 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030. Shorten’s policy is very different from the carbon price scheme of former prime minister Julia Gillard and quite similar to Malcolm Turnbull’s proposal when he was the opposition leader in 2009.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Pressure on fossil fuels

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Original article by James Chessell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 14-Dec-15

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says the Australian Government will make changes to its Direct Action policy, after delegates at the United Nations climate summit in Paris secured an agreement to reduce carbon emissions. However, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has urged the Government to abandon the Direct Action policy. The agreement has set a goal of ensuring that growth in global warming remains significantly below two degrees Celsius.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED NATIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CLIMATE INSTITUTE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, OXFORD UNIVERSITY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, INDIA. PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE

Labor’s 45pc emissions cut would need $200 carbon price

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 12 : 2-Dec-15

The Australian Government aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28 per cent by 2030 under its Direct Action policy. In contrast, the Opposition has set a target of a 45 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. However, economist Warwick McKibbin has cautioned against placing too much emphasis on the use of international carbon permits to achieve these targets, as it is difficult to forecast the cost of such permits by 2030.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Fossil fuel phase-out dumped after revolt

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 1-Dec-15

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will not sign a global agreement to gradually eliminate fossil fuel subsidies. Opposition from mining companies and farmers was too strong for the Australian Government to ignore. The Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform Communique, which the Government was meant to sign on 30 November 2015, was opposed by these two sectors on the grounds that it would cost jobs.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INCORPORATED

PM eyes carbon target lift

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Original article by Sid Maher, Graham Lloyd
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 30-Nov-15

The Australian Government has ruled out using the United Nations summit on climate change in Paris to change its policy on reducing carbon emissions by 26-28 per cent by 2030. However, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has given indications that this target could be increased when it is reviewed in 2017, although he has described the current target as "reasonable" and "achievable". Australia has also committed to investing $A200m annually over five years to a Green Clim­ate Fund, which Turnbull says is appropriate given the size of its economy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED NATIONS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, CANADA. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, FRANCE. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING