Antinuclear

Julie Bishop signs Paris Declaration for clear rules for carbon trading

What  a tortuous track Julie Bishop, Greg Hunt and co. have to navigate, as they weave about within the Turnbull government’s climate policies – which are exactly the same as Tony Abbott’s !

How long before the Turnbull government trips itself up in its own convoluted
rhetoric?

How long before Australia’s voters wake up to them?

Australia signs up for clear carbon trading rules, hinting at policy change, Guardian, Lenore Taylor in Paris, 10 Dec 15 

Signing declaration at the Paris climate talks ‘recognises the role a carbon market might play after 2020’, foreign minister Julie Bishop says. Australia has signed a Paris declaration calling for new clear rules for international carbon trading in a signal the Coalition’s six-year carbon pricing policy veto could be softening as it prepares to review its climate policy in 2017.

Foreign minister Julie Bishop, who signed the declaration in Paris, said it was in Australia’s interests to recognise the role an international carbon market might play in reducing emissions after 2020.

“It’s just a declaration, it’s not legally binding,” she said after a speech to an event organised by Australia’s Carbon Market Institute.

“It’s signalling our commitment to working with others about rules for a carbon market post 2020. The detail is for each country to include in their domestic policies, and this is something Australia will consider in due course.

“It is a declaration that recognises the role a carbon market might play after 2020 and we thought it would be in our national interest to sign up to it,” she said…….

The declaration, pushed by New Zealand and set to be announced at the end of the Paris meeting, calls for countries to work on transparent rules for carbon trading after 2020 so that they have the choice to enter into bilateral or multilateral carbon trading arrangements.

The Coalition has said it will review its Direct Action climate policy in 2017, including the so-called safeguards mechanism – which could at that time become a baseline and credit emissions trading scheme – and also whether businesses will be able to buy offshore carbon permits…….

There has been an overwhelming consensus from business groups in Paris that a carbon price would be the most efficient mechanism to drive deep emission reductions.

On the first day of the talks the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and six heads of state launched the carbon pricing leadership coalition, which called on all countries to start pricing carbon pollution. The coalition includes more than 90 businesses and non government organisations.

IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said “the right carbon price” had to be at the centre of reducing emissions and “given the slump in energy prices, there has never been a better time to transition to smart, credible and effective carbon pricing”.

“Policy makers need to price it right, tax it smart and do it now,” she said,

The call was backed by Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto, French president François Hollande, German chancellor Angela Merkel, Chilean president Michelle Bachelet Jeria, and Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

World Bank group president Jim Yong Kim said it was important to get “momentum” behind carbon pricing……

Greens leader Richard Di Natale said he was disappointed at the lack of ambition in the Australian government’s position in Paris.

“We continue to be one of the few countries who advocate the use of fossil fuels as a solution to poverty,” he said.. ….. http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/dec/10/australia-signs-up-clear-carbon-trading-rules-hinting-policy-change

December 12, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, politics