<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/barely-budged-big-polluters-get-away-with-minimal-cuts-as-climate-scheme-allows-too-many-offsets/>
"Some of Australia’s biggest polluters have cut emissions by less than one per
cent over the past two years, a report has found, falling significantly short
of their targets.
But major resources and industrial companies could continue to make modest
pollution cuts, it said, unless the federal government strengthens laws
designed to curb emissions.
The Climate Council issued the warning on Wednesday in a report into
Australia’s flagship industrial emissions policy, the Safeguard Mechanism, that
applies to 208 facilities across Australia.
The announcement comes days after Energy Minister Chris Bowen launched a review
of the regulations, and after the government announced a target to reduce
climate emissions by 62 to 70 per cent in 2035.
The Safeguard Mechanism applies to facilities that emit more than 100,000
tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, including coal mines, liquefied natural
gas plants, steelworks, and large manufacturers.
The council’s study analysed the types of companies that fall under the scheme,
and the emissions they cut over the past two years, following its 2023 reform.
It found emissions had “barely budged,” with the 197 companies covered by the
scheme during the period reducing pollution by 543,000 tonnes or 0.4 per cent.
Many large firms were choosing to buy carbon offsets rather than adopt
environmentally friendly practices, report author and Climate Council senior
advisor Ben McLeod said, as the scheme allowed it.
“We need to see some limits put on offsets because for as long as facilities
are able to buy an unlimited number of offsets, they’re able to shirk the
responsibility for cutting their own climate pollution,” he told
AAP."
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
