Our energy industry `unsustainable'

Sydney Morning Herald
Friday 11/9/2009 Page: 7

AUSTRALIA has been rated as being at "extreme risk" in a new report because its heavily polluting energy industry is considered unsustainable in a world struggling to deal with climate change. The report by a British global risk consultancy, Maplecroft, found that Australia ranked 33 out of 135 countries in its unsustainable energy index. It assesses a country's risk of being unable to obtain energy from clean sources and investing in an energy-intensive economy.

The report also found that Australia had overtaken the US, the worst emitter of carbon dioxide per head in its energy consumption, producing 20.58 tonnes a year compared with 19.78 tonnes per head in the US. The figures are based on US Department of Energy data for 2006-07. A spokeswoman for Maplecroft, Fiona Place, said Australia's ranking was made up of three factors: its total emissions from energy; its emissions from energy per head; and its cumulative emissions from energy use.

She said Maplecroft assessed the risk to Australia as extreme because businesses operating here maybe subject to future international regulation of carbon emissions and face pressure from public interest groups. But Australia did score much better than most countries on its ability to address climate change and adapt to it. The report ranked Australia at 156 out of 166 countries in its vulnerability to climate change. Australia's infrastructure, health system, communications system and food security were rated positively, although its water security was assessed as "increasingly compromised".