Repealing the Carbon Text May Kill the Very Successful Fire Abatement Programs in North Australia

The West Arnhem Fire Abatement program that reduces greenhouse gas emissions is at risk if carbon pricing is removed. This program is run through the Northern Land Council.

Details are here -http://www.nailsma.org.au/walfa-west-arnhem-land-fire-abatement-project  

In the NT this program sells greenhouse gas credits to LNG company Conoco Phillips in Darwin and has had plans for expansion.

Once the carbon tax goes, these programs are potentially likely to fall over, with this one and others in the Kimberley area at risk.

The following press release also has more to say.

Killing the carbon price will hurt Indigenous communities

July 14, 2014

Today the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) publicly supports the Kimberley Land Council, who on Friday reported that Indigenous communities stood to lose millions if the carbon price is repealed. 
“As the Prime Minister does deals with cross-bench senators this week, Indigenous communities throughout Australia are watching on in dread. Removing the ‘carbon tax’ will seriously threaten future prosperity,” said Wade Freeman, Kimberly project officer with ACF. 

The hugely successful Indigenous Rangers Program, and their work in fire management, is one area that is at risk.  “Well-planned prescribed fires have not only prevented dangerous wildfires, but have cut greenhouse pollution entering the atmosphere. Through the Carbon Farming Initiative, these are a key source of income for Indigenous communities.  “So far, the fire management activities have generated 230,000 credits estimated to be worth about $5 million based on the current carbon price,” Mr Freeman said.

“Unfortunately, the government’s own Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) will make things harder for Indigenous communities.  “Indigenous Ranger groups and communities will be pushed out of the market if the Abbott governments "reverse auction" in the ERF model is adopted. The ERF effectively has sellers competing to generate the lowest price on carbon as opposed to the current arrangement where large polluting companies compete against each other to buy credits.  "If Tony Abbott is really the Prime Minister for Indigenous Peoples, he need to find the missing link between a great initiative for Indigenous people and managing Australia’s pollution levels, and the ERF isn’t it," Mr Freeman said. 

“Earning income from carbon farming by managing country is important to the plans of remote Indigenous communities to participate in long term economic activity, rather than rely on welfare support,” Mr Freeman said.


The Law of Unintended Consequences strikes again??   

Carbon Pricing in Australia

July 2012 will see a carbon price implemented in Australia.

Is it a carbon tax? Well, yes I guess it is. But views as to using carbon tax versus an ETS have evolved and changed over the past several years, with the complexity and bureaucratic shemozzle of an ETS seen as a big stumbling block to any implementation of a scheme about climate change. A carbon tax is seen as economically efficient.

Neither is perfect.

A lot more detail still to come, and a few heads will no doubt get kicked along the way.
It is probably fair to say only the absolute diehard sceptics still subscribe to a view that climate change is not real and happening.....and maybe accelerating, even if there is some noise about normal cyclic movements in climate, sometimes attributed to changes in the solar energy cycles.

An interesting piece has been seen on the ABC web site today:[http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/25/3148883.htm ]

This is a reasonable cover of the issues, without getting into the trade exposed intensive industries arguments that were discussed during the previous ETS discussions.

But this option of a tax can be done now and should send appropriate signals to consumers and industry that there is not a free ride anymore.

It should be an interesting period over the next few years as this evolves......or gets stymied depending on how the political pieces fall.

Strategic Alliance to Build Carbon Management Reforms - Origin and Australian Carbon Trust

Origin Energy & Australian Carbon to work together on energy efficiency

Australian Carbon Trust and Origin Energy today signed an agreement to develop a strategic alliance for dedicated and more accessible financing, designed to accelerate the uptake of energy efficiency technologies and practices by Australian businesses.

To read the following release click here
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This is an interesting follow up to the previous post.

Origin and its senior executives have long been strong advocates for a realistic carbon management system in australia, becoming increasingly but quietly vocal in most of the right places - where policy change happens. There are many statements on record to support that position.

This is an interesting development that should offer strong support to smaller businesses to also move to better carbon managment practices.

Bring it on!!

Emissions Trading 101 - Cap and Trade

The whole issue of an ETS seems to be inherently complex.

Recently I was able to access the article by Joel Kurtzman of the Milken Institute in the USA, which was subsequently published in Foreign Affairs in September 2009. It is available on the Institute web site and was also published in the Review section of the Australian Financial Review on Friday 16 October 2009.

See: http://www.milkeninstitute.org/publications/publications.taf?function=detail&ID=38801211&cat=ART

He discusses the free market aspects of the Emissions Trading Scheme [ ETS] in a rational, coherent and clear manner. It is worth reading for the clarity.

A really good explanation of the broad scheme. While many will disagree with some issues, it clearly explains the principles and operations of the managed markets.

It might just work!