After the successful passage on Tuesday of Australia’s carbon tax, The Age printed this primer on the nation’s carbon pricing package.
How the clean-energy package will roll out:
Carbon emissions tax for the 500 biggest polluters starts on July 1, 2012
Tax moves to an emissions trading scheme in 2015
Tax begins at a fixed price of $23 a tonne and rise by 2.5 per cent a year until 2015.
Tax will not apply to agricultural emissions or light on-road vehicles
Electricity generation, stationary energy, some business transport, waste, industrial processes and fugitive emissions will be covered by the initial tax
Average households will see a $9.90 weekly cost rise
Average households will receive assistance of $10.10 weekly
Free carbon permits will be the given to the most emissions-intensive and trade-exposed industries
The government wants to cut pollution by 80 per cent by 2050.
