Key greenhouse gas emitter to replace fixed price on emissions with floating rate a year earlier than planned.
Australia will scrap its carbon tax and bring forward an emissions trading scheme a year earlier than planned, Treasurer Chris Bowen said, a policy shift certain to be a focal point in the forthcoming election.
Under current plans, Australia would move from the current fixed price on carbon - essentially a tax assessed on larger companies entitling them to produce carbon emissions - to a floating price in July 2015.
Bowen on Sunday confirmed media reports that the fixed $21.9 per tonne carbon tax would be dumped in favour of a floating price of between $5.5 and $9.1 per tonne from July 1, 2014, to ease cost of living pressure for families and help support the non-mining sectors of the economy.
Australia is among the world's worst per capita polluters due to its reliance on coal-fired power and mining exports and introduced a carbon tax in 2012, charging big polluters for their emissions.
READ MORE: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/07/201371454545395460.html
No comments:
Post a Comment