Australia isn’t going to shy away from considering an emissions trading scheme simply because the US won’t legislate one, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet says.
Parliament’s multi-party climate change committee met for the second time on Wednesday to discuss the “policy principles” that will guide future deliberations and hear from three of its four expert advisers.
After the nearly five-hour-long meeting, Mr Combet told reporters all options remained on the table although the government still believed a “market-based mechanism” was the best way of reducing carbon emissions.
President Barack Obama’s cap-and-trade system is almost certainly doomed in the US after the Republicans won control of Congress at last week’s mid-term elections.
But Mr Combet says that fact won’t affect the committee’s work.
“It hasn’t affected anyone’s consideration, including the government’s, about our responsibility and obligation to look at all options, and in particular those which are the least cost, most economically efficient and environmentally effective,” he said.
“That includes consideration of cap-and-trade emissions trading schemes.”
Prime Minister Julia Gillard this week also downplayed the US’s influence.
“We are not an American state,” she said.
“We are our own country, we will determine our own strategy.”
Mr Combet refused to detail the “policy principles” that were discussed on Wednesday by the Labor, independent and Greens members, but said they would be released publicly when finalised.
A paper prepared for the committee by his department would, however, be made public “over the next day or two”.
“(It) considers in some detail the actions taken by many other countries around the world in emissions mitigation in areas such as energy efficiency policy and support for renewable energy technologies,” Mr Combet said.
Presentations made by economist Ross Garnaut, Will Steffen from ANU’s Climate Change Institute and Rod Sims from Port Jackson Partners will also be posted on the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency’s website from Thursday.
Mr Combet said terms of reference had been established for Professor Garnaut to update his climate change review published in 2008.
“Prof Garnaut has also undertaken … to conduct a set of public fora around the country to explain the material,” the climate change minister said.
Mr Combet said it was important for information to be released which made it clear Australia was not alone in tackling climate change.
The US was examining the possibility of reducing emissions via regulation, and a number of states had moved towards cap-and-trade schemes, he said.
“There is a lot of action going on in the US,” Mr Combet said.
“It is very important that we continue to roll out the factual information about what is going on internationally.”
The climate change committee will meet again before Christmas.
