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Past deals on emissions trading increased compensation to the electricity sector. Daniel L Smith / Shutterstock.com

Australia needs a fresh start on climate policy: authority

Australia needs to “reset” discussions related to climate policy, according to the government’s advisory body on climate policy.
In 2010 Malcolm Turnbull threatened to cross the floor to vote for emissions trading. Polls suggest the public would back him now, even if his party won’t. AAP Image/Alan Porritt

If he wants to win an election, Turnbull should go back to his old self on climate

In backing Abbott’s existing climate policy, Malcolm Turnbull looks like appeasing his party. But his prospects would be better served by appealing to voters who are anxious for strong climate action.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt, Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop at the announcement of Australia’s 2030 climate target. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Australia’s post-2020 climate target not enough to stop 2C warming: experts

Australia will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2030. Experts respond.
It might be nice if buying the right to emit greenhouse pollution could be made a bit simpler. Oleandra/Shutterstock.com

Politics aside, a simple carbon tax makes more sense than a convoluted emissions trading scheme

The term ‘carbon tax’ is a political poison in Australia, thanks to the previous carbon tax which was actually an emissions trading scheme. Yet ironically, many economists prefer a tax over an ETS anyway.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten and Shadow Environment Minister Mark Butler say the ALP supports renewables but haven’t yet decided whether and how to price carbon. AAP Image/Alan Porritt

The latest turn in the twisty history of Labor’s climate policies

Labor says it hasn’t yet decided what climate policy to take to the next election, although this week’s leak has bolstered the idea that it will involve carbon pricing – a subject with a long and vexed history for the party.
Pressure is mounting inside and outside Australia for greater action on climate. AAP Image/Dan Peled

The pressure is mounting on Abbott to deliver on climate

International and domestic forces appear to be conspiring to significantly ratchet up the pressure on Prime Minster Tony Abbott’s climate policy.
The cost of low emissions technology is falling faster than modelling five years ago expected, lowering the cost of reducing carbon emissions. Bas/Flickr

Q&A with Ross Garnaut: ‘we’re not there yet’ on climate policy

Despite solid results from the first emissions reduction fund auction, Australia hasn’t yet got a climate policy to last.
Bjorn Lomborg seems to irritate the hell out of many environmentalists. AAP Image/Alan Porritt

Bjorn again

Bjorn Lomborg seems to inspire anything but consensus, but is his approach all that bad?
The wrong track? The biggest emitters, such as power stations, were largely absent from the government’s first round of greenhouse reduction contracts. AAP Image/Dan Peled

On these numbers, Australia’s emissions auction won’t get the job done

Federal environment minister Greg Hunt has hailed the first round of Emissions Reduction Fund auctions as a “stunning result”. But extrapolating the numbers puts Australia behind on its carbon targets.
Growth industry: forestry will account for much of the carbon reductions under the first round of Emissions Reduction Fund contracts. CSIRO/Wikimedia Commons

Infographic: emissions reduction auction results at a glance

The first round of contracts for Australia’s Emissions Reduction Fund have been awarded, at an average price of just under A$14 a tonne. How do the numbers stack up, and what projects are the big winners?

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