WWF welcomes carbon reduction scheme but warns against free permits
16 Jul 2008
WWF today said the Federal Government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme was a big step forward in tackling dangerous climate change but warned against free carbon permits for existing coal power stations.
"Existing power stations have known for 20 years that carbon would be regulated. Every cent spent on providing assistance to existing power stations is money not spent on supporting clean energy research, households and trade exposed industries," said WWF-Australia CEO Greg Bourne.
WWF also said the amount of assistance to aluminium, agriculture and other trade-exposed industries should be capped at a maximum of 30 per cent of auction revenue.
WWF said the deployment and commercialisation carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology would provide indirect assistance to generators. However WWF supports structural adjustment assistance to strongly affected communities and workers.
WWF welcomed the inclusion of the transport sector in the Emissions Trading Scheme but warned against cutting the excise on petrol to protect motorists, saying such a cut should be a one-off event only.
"In today's world of high financial pressures and rising costs of living, a one-off excise cut might be justified but it is very important that price mechanisms are not interfered with further down the track because this will reduce the incentive to invest in clean transport alternatives," he said.
Mr Bourne also said an ETS charge on petrol should be included on fuel receipts so consumers can see the direct effects of a carbon charge and make appropriate decisions about how much fuel they are using.
"Our economy is strong so the responsible thing to do is act now while it is affordable. Any delay will result in irreversible damage to the environment and future economy."
A two to three degree rise in average temperatures could result in a 33 per cent loss in species, 95 per cent loss of most coral reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef, and up to an 80 per cent loss of the Kakadu wetlands. In addition, flows in the Murray-Darling could be cut by half, and alpine areas could lose up to a staggering 85 per cent of snow-cover.
"This is not a choice between rushing an emissions trading scheme or and not rushing - this is now a matter of catching up. The time for taking this slowly was 10 years ago," said WWF-Australia CEO Greg Bourne.
For more information
Charlie Stevens, WWF-Australia Press Office,
02 8202 1274, 0424 649 689
Paul Toni, Program Leader – Development and Sustainability,
0410 086 986
