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Source:
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Sydney Morning Herald
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Date
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02/02/2010
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Tony Abbott has pledged to install 100,000 solar panels on Australian rooftops every year as part of a "simpler, cheaper'' climate-change policy if the Coalition wins power.
And a Coalition government would spend $3.2 billion of taxpayers' money over four years on incentive payments to industry to reduce carbon emissions.
Mr Abbott said the incentives would go to big polluters if they reduced emissions from existing rates. Industry that rises above the current rate of emissions would be fined an undisclosed amount, he said.
The scheme is also geared to reducing emissions by 5 per cent by 2020 on 2000 levels, as proposed by the Government.
But Mr Abbott said the Opposition remained committed to equalling the government's tougher targets of 15 and 25 per cent if certain conditions were met in a global agreement. But Mr Abbott believes this is unlikely.
The Coalition policy is not costed for a 15 or 25 per cent emissions cut.
The Abbott climate-change policy includes a $100 million scheme to install 100,000 rooftop solar panels every year and incentives to plant 20 million trees.
"Our policy will be simpler, cheaper and more effective than the government's," Mr Abbott said.
"This is because it relies on incentives not penalties. Business as usual will not be penalised.'' According to Mr Abbott the incentive payments will be made on the basis that industry action reduces emissions, helps the broader environment, has no cost to consumers or costs jobs.
The Rudd Government will today reintroduce its emissions trading scheme into parliament. The scheme would cap emissions and require industry to buy permits for the greenhouse gases it releases.
The revenue from selling carbon permits would then be used by the Government to compensate industry and households for rising costs associated with the scheme.