Browsing: Federal

• Tests finds patchy compliance with energy performance standards
  
• Emissions should peak in 2010, say WWF and IAG
  
• Productivity Commission floats chemicals reforms

An OECD review of Australia's environmental performance says serious breaches are 'inadequately prosecuted' in some jurisdictions and recommends that enforcement be strengthened, especially against big polluters.



The OECD also says voluntary measures often don't have 'meaningful' monitoring and compliance mechanisms and recommends greater use of economic instruments.

Up to 400 onshore facilities and various offshore facilities that between them account for 73% of Australia's net greenhouse gas emissions would have trading scheme obligations, under a proposal put to the Garnaut Review by states and territories.



The states also suggest a threshold for what constitutes an emissions-intensive industry that might be entitled to annual free permits, recommend how legislation should provide for expanding the scheme, propose three administrative institutions and say caps should be set by a COAG ministerial council.



They also want the scheme to give a once-off allocation of free permits to seriously affected power generators and possibly to some others.

• Rudd and Somare sign forest carbon partnership
  
  
  
• Stern hits back at Productivity Commission
  
  
  
• 'Poor environmental record' prompts EPA Victoria to oppose licence
  
  
  
• Queensland court hands down suspended jail sentence for polluter

• Rudd flags soil carbon push
  
• Sustainable buildings council briefs Garrett and Garnaut on 'white certificates' trading proposal
  
• Queensland EPA charges company directors over PCBs
  
• South Australia to ban plastic bags by year's end

Livestock production costs could increase about 18% if agriculture is included in an emissions trading scheme, ABARE chief Phillip Glyde told CE Daily today. Glyde briefed agriculture ministers on Friday on emissions trading, and also warned them of the dangers of the 'food miles' push.



Meanwhile, a WA government discussion paper has warned of potential trade-offs between food crops and carbon sink forestry.

• Rudd and Clarke to cooperate on emissions trading
  
• Caltex hits out at world-first move on transport emissions
  
• A matter of principle; how Wong and Tanner will decide what climate programs to chop
  
• Clinton Climate Initiative to back Latrobe Valley carbon capture project?
  
• Queensland leads in GreenPower growth
  
• Environmental lawyers call for tougher rules on GHG reporting compliance
  
• Packaging covenant council names non-compliant firms
  
• Keep trading simple and don't have a price cap, says EC

Business consultancy KPMG has urged a series of reforms to ensure Australia's tax regime that helps, rather than hinders, climate policy objectives.



Its 'white paper' on accounting and tax issues also warns that existing tax rules are unclear at best and could be impeding action on climate change.

Professor Ross Garnaut's declaration that Australia is well placed to fight climate change means other developed countries can rightly expect Australia to take on tougher commitments than most, the Australian Conservation Foundation's Tony Mohr tells CE Daily. (plus audio)



Plus energy supply association chief Brad Page on why Garnaut doesn't get it on the issue of high-emitting power stations. And comments from the Business Council of Australia, carbon lawyer Martijn Wilder, Environment Business Australia, CO2 Australia and more ….

Australia might have to achieve 90% cuts in emissions by 2050 as part of global efforts to stabilise greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at low levels, says the just-released interim report of the Garnaut review.



The head of the influential climate change review has turned "conventional wisdom" on its head, saying Australia is very well positioned to make deep cuts. CE Daily provides a dot-point summary of the main features.