Browsing: <a href="/tag/au">Federal</a> <i class="grey">•</i> <a href="/tag/ccs">CCS</a>

• Pulp and paper industry warns of closures, outlines abatement options
  
• Déjà vu on waste: ministers' progress 'grossly' over-stated
  
• Climate Institute releases abatement modelling tool
  
• WA to provide water treatment for Esperance lead-affected families
  
• Australian Coal Association releases more than 40 CCS videos

In 2001, Australia's federal environment agency issued a discussion paper on a product stewardship strategy for electrical and electronic appliances. Last Friday, more than seven years on, Australia's environment ministers – five of them new to the ministerial environment council – set a 2009 deadline for actually deciding what to do.

• Ferguson looks to amend offshore storage bill
  
• Government rejects call to delay trading scheme
  
• Greens urge Rudd to 'green up' $10.4 billion dollar rescue package
  
• Energy agency finds no sign yet of carbon leakage for EU aluminium

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and state and territory leaders yesterday agreed to develop a national energy efficiency strategy and to expedite development of 'consistent' regulations for carbon capture and storage. Meanwhile, South Australian Premier Mike Rann lobbies for new commercial buildings to be 'zero carbon' by 2019.

Professor Ross Garnaut this morning handed to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd an all-embracing set of policy proposals to combat climate change. Garnaut warned that a failure by this generation to deal with climate change 'would haunt humanity until the end of time'.

In a Senate committee report issued yesterday, maverick Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan and Greens Senator Christine Milne continued their unlikely alliance opposing legislation that has provided a tax break for carbon sink forests. But Labor senators insisted the move constituted a 'valuable' policy tool to reduce levels of greenhouse gases.

Labor members of a Senate committee inquiry into carbon capture and storage legislation that reported yesterday say the government shouldn't take-on long-term liability for leaks. But Coalition senators say it would be more 'practical' if it did, while the Greens want companies to pay a bond sufficient to cover all future risks. The Government must win either Coalition or Greens support to get the bill through the Senate.

The Coalition will seek amendments in the Senate to the Government's bill on offshore storage of greenhouse gases and is withholding judgment on Government changes to the bill made following a House of Representatives inquiry, Shadow Climate Change Minister Greg Hunt told Parliament today. Meanwhile, former resources minister Ian Macfarlane has warned parliament the bill must not allow oil and gas titleholders in the Gippsland Basin to hold Latrobe valley generators to ransom.

• Federal Court upholds appeal over 'secondary boycott' environment defence
  
• Anti-mill lobby group moves on class action
  
• Government moves to ban carbon storage in reef
  
• Garrett launches new urban planning website
  
• National Water Commission sets out priorities
  
• Infrastructure Australia seeks submissions
  
  EPA Victoria issues domestic wastewater code

The Minister for Energy and Resources should have power to direct petroleum companies and CO₂e storage proponents to negotiate in good faith and come to terms, a House of Representatives carbon capture and storage inquiry recommended today.