<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/29/australia-polluter-pays-levy-fossil-fuels-rod-sims-ross-garnaut-superpower-institute-report>
"The Albanese government could make deep emissions cuts and restructure an
ailing federal budget by taxing polluting companies more than $35bn a year for
the damage they cause to the planet, according to a report backed by senior
economists and ex-public servants.
The analysis by the Superpower Institute – overseen by the longtime Labor
adviser Ross Garnaut and former consumer watchdog chair Rod Sims, and supported
by ex-Treasury head Ken Henry – makes a case for the introduction of a
“polluter pays levy” on companies that extract or import fossil fuels consumed
in Australia.
It also calls for a “fair share levy” that would lift the tax paid by local gas
producers on profits from about 30% to just under 60%, putting it closer to the
75%-90% that is paid in some other fossil fuel exporting countries, such as
Norway.
Under the proposal, households would receive hundreds of dollars in
compensation – and in some cases overcompensation – for increased costs.
The compensation would be paid through a universal energy compensation payment
and a targeted additional household support package. Payments would be
front-loaded over the next decade and decline as people shifted from running
their homes and vehicles on gas, petrol and diesel to clean electricity.
After that, households would be expected to face lower costs than when their
homes relied on fossil fuels. Small businesses would also be compensated.
The report fleshes out a 2024 call by Garnaut, the Superpower Institute’s
director, for Australia to re-embrace carbon pricing 12 years after the then
Coalition prime minister Tony Abbott abolished what some had described as a
world-leading scheme to address the climate crisis."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
