There have been three recent government sponsored reports or reviews
in response to climate change:
The National Emissions Trading
Taskforce
In 2004, the leaders of the state and territory governments established
the Inter-Jurisdictional
Working Group on Emissions Trading to design an Australian emissions
trading scheme. This work was undertaken by a group drawn from the
various state and territory public services and made use of specialist
consultants when required. This group was later renamed the National
Emissions Trading Taskforce (NETT).
The work was based on the assumption that a cap and trade approach
would be the basis for any Australian emissions trading scheme, which
would cover most economic sectors and the six major greenhouse gases
mentioned in Annex A of the Kyoto
Protocol to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The final report of this taskforce entitled
Possible
design of a national greenhouse gas emissions
trading scheme—Final framework report
on scheme design was released in
December 2007.
Prime Ministerial Task Group on Emissions Trading
On 10 December 2006 the then Prime Minister,
John Howard, announced the establishment
of a joint government-business Task
Group on Emissions Trading. The task
group released an Issues
Paper on 7 February 2007 providing
the context for the work to be undertaken
and setting out some of the relevant issues
and questions for public comment. In response,
216 submissions
were received from interested parties. Discussions
were also held with 180 representative
groups and individuals in Australia and
overseas.
The Report
of the Task Group on Emissions Trading was intended to contribute
to public discussion and the development of policy on the role of
emissions trading in delivering least-cost reductions in greenhouse
gas emissions. The report outlines the state of play in international
cooperation on climate change and the possible development of emissions
trading at the global level. Against this background, the report outlines
a proposed Australian domestic emissions trading scheme, together
with a set of complementary policies and measures, that would enable
Australia to position itself for international developments while
maintaining economic growth and safeguarding our competitive advantage.
Garnaut Climate Change Review
The Garnaut
Climate Change Review is an independent
study by Professor Ross Garnaut, which was
commissioned by the then Federal Opposition
and state and territory governments. The
review was established on 30 April
2007.
The review examined the impacts of climate
change on the Australian economy, and recommended
medium to long-term policies and policy
frameworks to improve the prospects for
sustainable prosperity.
The review's final
report was released on 30 September
2008. A number of other
discussion papers and reports have been
released as part of the review's work. A
number of forums
have also been held around Australia to
engage the public on various issues relating
to the review. Additional work has been
commissioned by the review from academics
and from the Productivity
Commission.
The government has undertaken to release
the economic modelling that formed one of
the major inputs to the Garnaut Climate
Change Review's work by the end of October 2008.
Results
Each of the above reviews have rejected
a carbon tax approach to emissions control.
Instead they have supported the adoption
of an emissions trading approach, specifically
in the form of a cap and trade emissions
trading scheme. the government has put forward
a proposed Carbon
Pollution Reduction Scheme, which is
based on a cap and trade approach.
However, each of the reviews adopted different
positions on compensation for affected industries
and on sector coverage. A guide to the differences
in the position of the above reviews/reports
can be found in Appendix 4 of the Garnaut
Climate Change Review’s Emissions
Trading Scheme Discussion Paper.
