http://www.cedaily.com.au/index.php CE Daily en-au Copyright CE Daily 2008 hourly 1 1970-01-01T00:00+00:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/RDF/manage_head1.gif http://www.cedaily.com.au/ CE Daily http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37466 Compensation proposed by the Rudd Government for emissions-intensive, trade-exposed businesses will be insufficient to prevent them moving offshore or scaling back their operations, says a Business Council of Australia analysis of the emissions trading green paper. CE Daily 2008-08-21T16:52:39+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37458 Fighting climate change means transforming the global economy and UN institutions are not yet robust enough for the job, says Australia's top UN climate change negotiator Howard Bamsey. But there are 'reasons for optimism' in international climate talks and Australia and New Zealand can potentially 'strongly influence' the outcome, he says. CE Daily 2008-08-21T12:00:37+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37451 Unless applied in a disciplined way, supplementary measures to emissions trading risk 'simply increasing the cost of reduction', head of the Rudd Government's climate policy review, Roger Wilkins, said today. Wilkins flagged the national electricity market, transport and tax policy as among the areas requiring review to ensure the emissions trading scheme can work as efficiently as possible. CE Daily 2008-08-20T14:01:39+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37447 A senior NZ climate official today said her country could handle the 'in-law issues' associated with linking to Australia's trading regime, but suggested a 'pre-nup' might be a sensible precaution in case policy differences emerge. Meanwhile, Anthea Harris of Australia's Department of Climate Change warned against a marriage of the two schemes until they 'come of age'. CE Daily 2008-08-20T11:52:17+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37445 Australia is likely to have its first commercial-scale cleaner coal power plant fitted with carbon capture and storage technology by 2025, according to National Generators Forum chief John Boshier. CE Daily 2008-08-20T10:12:00+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37444 It will take several years to sort out and streamline the mix of climate change policy measures operating in Australia, Department of Climate Change deputy secretary Blair Comley has warned. Comley also made it clear the Rudd Government was not locked into policy positions set out in the emissions trading green paper. And he defended the use of a price cap in the early years of the trading scheme. CE Daily 2008-08-20T08:34:40+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37434 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd this morning told an Auckland climate conference new energy efficiency measures are on the way for business and stoutly defended the Government’s focus on carbon capture and storage. Both Rudd and his New Zealand counterpart Helen Clark stressed strong domestic action as a precondition for influencing international talks, with Clark saying the role of ‘fast follower’ was not good enough. CE Daily 2008-08-19T12:44:29+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37419 Many bilateral investment agreements and free trade agreements give foreign investors broad powers to seek compensation for legislative changes – and these could prove a major global stumbling block to efforts to introduce climate change legislation, according to lawyer and academic Kate Miles. CE Daily 2008-08-19T07:58:00+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37418 Spot trades, forward trades and average price contracts – there will be a lot more to the carbon market than permit auctions. CE Daily talks to ABN AMRO's Craig McBurnie about the plethora of financial products that will emerge and the role they will play in helping companies manage their carbon liabilities. CE Daily 2008-08-18T11:28:00+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37420 The Australian Industry Greenhouse Network has questioned whether the Rudd Government has done its sums properly when calculating how much electricity will need to be supplied from renewables in order to meet the government's target of generating 20% of power from renewables by 2020. CE Daily 2008-08-18T09:04:16+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37412 The Minister for Energy and Resources should have power to direct petroleum companies and CO2e storage proponents to negotiate in good faith and come to terms, a House of Representatives carbon capture and storage inquiry recommended today. CE Daily 2008-08-15T16:07:01+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37408 The Federal Government should double the size of its Green Car Innovation Fund to $1 billion if it proves successful, recommends the Bracks review of the automotive industry. The review, released today, backs including transport in the emissions trading scheme, but warns that imposing vehicle emissions targets as well would be 'overly burdensome'. CE Daily 2008-08-15T13:42:49+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37395 The Energy Supply Association of Australia says the proposed NSW Energy Efficiency Target scheme won't work and shouldn't go ahead. Those more sanguine about its prospects still want changes – such as closer alignment with Victoria's scheme and the inclusion of cogeneration. CE Daily looks at submissions to the NEET proposal. CE Daily 2008-08-14T13:44:07+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37386 The Rudd Government must avoid free-riding on the efforts of businesses and individuals who voluntarily invest in Australian carbon offsets, according to Climate Friendly CEO Freddy Sharpe. CE Daily 2008-08-13T15:30:07+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37384 * Economic modelling – Garnaut names the day * Consider nuclear, Rio Tinto tells NT Government * WorleyParsons seeks sites for large-scale, solar-thermal plants * New Zealand issues renewables policy * National Pollutant Inventory launches video * Al Gore's new ad pushes 100% renewables (with video) CE Daily 2008-08-13T13:56:34+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37370 * Ferguson on energy efficiency: we favour market approaches * Exploration acreage not given proper environmental scrutiny, gas company says * Don't proceed with renewables target scheme, BCA tells Government * Network regulation hampering demand management, report finds * Victoria establishes climate change advisory group * We're now carbon neutral, City of Sydney says CE Daily 2008-08-12T12:46:39+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37362 * Victoria proposes $40-per-tonne penalty for energy efficiency target scheme * NSW water law now in force * Perth joins 'solar cities' ranks CE Daily 2008-08-11T15:20:00+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37358 A mandatory scheme requiring about 1,200 sites around Australia to identify and implement energy efficiency measures would have significant benefits, says a study prepared for the nation's energy ministers. CE Daily 2008-08-11T12:16:40+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37357 The Rudd Government's proposed formula for calculating emissions intensity is deeply flawed, says Caltex's Frank Topham, who also sounds a note of caution on the 'cent for cent' fuel excise offset. CE Daily 2008-08-11T10:21:03+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37349 * Australia's trajectory will align with international efforts, climate chief says * Renewables scheme should continue until at least 2035, ACF says * New Zealand aims to have transport-related emissions CE Daily 2008-08-08T15:41:23+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37345 Australia risks pushing low-emissions industries to grow at unsustainably high rates if it fails to jettison its industry-neutral, least-cost approach to industry development, says a new WWF report. CE Daily 2008-08-08T13:51:29+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37343 Governments must 'rebuff' industry claims for assistance that use environmental pretexts but are simply an unwarranted grab for taxpayer dollars, warns Productivity Commission chairman Gary Banks. CE Daily 2008-08-08T08:37:13+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37337 Based on template power contract wording leaked by a disgruntled business, the Total Environment Centre has slammed the power industry for simultaneously seeking government assistance and structuring contracts to pass through carbon costs. CE Daily 2008-08-07T16:30:10+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37329 The Henry review of Australia's tax system has until the end of 2009 to deliver its final report, but could provide advice to the Rudd Government earlier than that on tax matters related to emissions trading. CE Daily 2008-08-06T17:00:08+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37327 Australia's largest carbon sink forest provider has told a Senate inquiry it "beggars belief" that recent tax break legislation will see carbon sinks used as a tax scam, while Senator Bill Heffernan used the inquiry to launch a vitriolic attack on NAFI's CEO Allan Hansard during his appearance as a witness. CE Daily 2008-08-06T16:21:31+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37321 * ASX set to enter the renewables trading market * Price cap would neuter trading scheme, trading expert warns * Dump 'production-based' approach to trading, urges economist * Make 'public good' goals explicit in federal research program, review recommends * World Bank issues primer on climate resilient cities CE Daily 2008-08-06T13:18:31+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37308 Victoria's planning tribunal has overturned a council decision to grant permits for six homes on coastal land partly because of the risk of climate change-induced rising sea levels. CE Daily 2008-08-05T15:22:57+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37307 Two reports issued today take very different positions on Australia's logged native forests. A report by the National Association of Forest Industries says forest industries stand ready to provide very large amounts of cheap abatement by storing carbon in plantations and well-managed, logged native forests. But ANU research says the debate needs to be reframed, as logging native forests massively reduces the amount of carbon they can store. CE Daily 2008-08-05T15:08:52+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37296 * States have a strong case for ETS compensation, says Australia Institute * NSW issues draft construction noise guideline * Liberals criticise new Victorian hazardous waste restrictions CE Daily 2008-08-04T13:42:17+10:00 http://www.cedaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=37292 There has been "record growth" in applications for the solar PV rebate since the Government's Budget night introduction of a means test, says Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett. Garrett is now set to turn his attention to energy efficiency measures and other elements of the household assistance package that will accompany the introduction of emissions trading. CE Daily 2008-08-04T11:06:32+10:00