Antinuclear

The hidden benefit of Australia’s carbon tax

Big fall in electricity sector emissions since carbon tax   Peter Hannam, 5 Feb 14 ENVIRONMENT EDITOR, THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD “……..The premise of the debate about changes in emissions from last year is wrong, said Frank Jotzo, an associate professor at Australian National University’s Crawford School of Public Policy and deputy director, ANU Climate Change Institute.

“What matters is not the comparison with last years’ emissions levels, but with what emissions would be if it was not for the carbon price,” Professor Jotzo said. “Australia’s emissions have been on an increasing trajectory, projections without carbon pricing were for strong increases.”

“Now we’re seeing only very slight increases which is progress,” he said.

While the electricity sector is seeing the largest impact of the carbon prices, the impact is not as big as it would be if businesses believed that the carbon price was here to stay, Professor Jotzo said.

“To stop increasing emissions in transport and extractive industries like LNG would require a carbon price much, much higher than what is currently in place,” he said…….http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/big-fall-in-electricity-sector-emissions-since-carbon-tax-20140205-320a6.html

February 6, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics