Australia announces carbon tax

12 Jul 2011

The Australian government has unveiled its plans for carbon taxation at A$23/tonne or £15, starting from next year. As with CRC only the largest companies are affected - for the moment. Unsurprisingly there is widespread opposition, particularly from mining and heavy industry. They claim that the tax will make industry uncompetitive and drive customers into the arms of the Indians and Chinese whose taxes and controls are so much weaker. And anyway, it won’t do anything to protect the climate. In the short term all that may be true, but unless we set an example the Indians and Chinese will never consider controls. A carbon tax should depress demand for fossil fuels, which can only improve energy security. It’s not infinite you know, though many, many people still haven’t grasped that.

Good to hear that Australians, whose carbon footprint per head is greater even than that of the Americans, are taking steps!