Former Australian of the Year Tim Flannery has been chosen to head a new climate change commission which has been set up to build community support for a carbon price.
The Federal Government-appointed Commission is made up of climate experts and has held its first meeting today.
The Government agreed to set up the commission, made up of climate experts, after dumping its election promise of a citizens’ assembly.
Climate Change Minister Greg Combet says it will work independently of the Government.
“It is very important that people in the community can get access to information about climate change, about climate science, [about] what is going on internationally and also to get access to informed independent information about the measures being taken to tackle climate change - including what a carbon price is and how it may work,” he said.
“Central to that is that people in the community will have access to the people with the relevant qualifications,” he said.
“I’m delighted to take up this challenge. I think it’s a very timely one,” Mr Flannery said following the announcement.
“I will be trying to lead discussion on what climate science has to offer us … and also to lead a discussion in terms of the options.”
The other members of the panel are ANU Climate Change Institute executive director Professor Will Steffen, Australian Science Media Centre CEO Dr Susannah Eliott, former Department of Environment head Roger Beale, and Macquarie University professor Lesley Hughes.
