Rare support for climate scheme

Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday 23/4/2009 Page: 4

THE Australian Conservation Foundation has urged politicians to approve the emissions trading scheme so it can begin next year. The foundation said while its support for the scheme was not absolute it believed the threat of climate change was so great the scheme needed to begin as soon as possible.

''This Parliament has the unique chance to promote strong action on climate change at precisely the time it is needed," Don Henry, the executive director of the foundation told a Senate committee. As a nation we have the opportunity to play a key role in averting the worst of climate change and promoting strong jobs growth in the clean economy of the future."

The foundation said it still wanted significant changes made before the scheme was passed, including a much tougher target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But even limited support for the scheme was a rarity as the Government struggled to find any enthusiasm for its model.

This week the Minister for Climate Change, Penny Wong, said if Parliament did not support the scheme Australia would be hamstrung at international negotiations this year. Senator Wong said Australia needed to show it was prepared to lower its emissions and could only do this in a meaningful way with an emissions trading scheme in place.

Yesterday Mr Henry said it was crucial Australia played a leadership role at the talks in Copenhagen. As the developed country most vulnerable to climate change, it is in Australia's strong national interest that an agreement to substantially cut global greenhouse pollution is reached this December in Copenhagen," Mr Henry said.