Climate & Biodiversity Join Forces in the Economics of Nature

Because rainforests and restored river basins store vast quantities of carbon, we can design

the carbon economics of the 21st century so that for the first time in human history we can

grow the world economy without destroying nature. Here’s an edited version of Peter Cosier’s Wentworth Talk at the Sydney Theatre Company, hosted by Cate Blanchett, part of which was also shown on Sky Business Eco Report.

The international Copenhagen conference was supposed to be the great defining moment when the world leaders were to agree on how to solve the world’s climate change problem. They failed.

Peter Cosier, Executive Director and Founding Member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, asks why can’t we agree to take action that is so patently in our own self interest?  What is the science telling us we need to do to manage the risk of runaway climate change?  What are the solutions?  How feasible is it to do?  What can we do as individuals do to break the impasse?

Here is an edited version of Peter Cosier Wentworth Talk on Monday 8 February at the Sydney Theatre Company:

Thank you Cate for your wonderful introduction, for your personal commitment to conservation, and for hosting the first of what I hope will become a regular fixture of talks at the Sydney Theatre Company.

The world’s climate scientists tell us that we need to keep greenhouse gas concentrations in our atmosphere below 450ppm CO2e if we are to have a 50% chance of keeping global warming below 2 degrees (above pre-industrial levels)15.

To have any chance of achieving that target, highly industrialised economies such as Australia, on a per capita basis, will have to reduce our existing greenhouse gas emissions in the order of 97 percent by 2050 (based on a 15% probability).

All the world’s industrial and industrialising economies will need to reduce their emissions by similar amounts: Europe by 93%, the United States by 97%, China 79%. The implication of a global stabilisation target of 450ppm is simple, but profound.

No matter which phase in the industrial revolution countries are in, we are going to have to completely decarbonise the world’s energy production systems and we are going to have to restore a positive carbon balance in the world’s natural landscapes – our forests and our agricultural lands – and we have 40 years to do it.

The argument against action is founded on the cost of action: the cost to economic growth and jobs.

So let’s just leave that aside for the moment that “the cost of action is less than the cost of inaction” and simply look at the cost of action.

In 2008 the Australian Treasury released what has been described as the most comprehensive analysis of the economic impact of deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions on the Australian economy.

There is economic pain, because as Treasury says, demand will shift from emission intensive products such as coal, aluminium and road transport, towards lower emission products such as renewable energy, wood products and rail.

The solution to climate change has not one, but two components: yes, we do need to decarbonise the world’s energy production systems, but we are also going to have to restore a positive carbon balance in the world’s natural landscapes – our forests and our agricultural lands.

It is in this second component that lies at the heart of what humanity is capable achieving: what I call the economics of nature in the 21st century.

Because rainforests and restored river basins store vast quantities of carbon, we can design the carbon economics of the 21st century so that for the first time in human history we can grow the world economy without destroying nature.

This is an unbelievably important concept.

A 15% increase in the world’s terrestrial carbon stock would remove the equivalent of all the carbon pollution emitted from fossil fuels since the beginning of the industrial revolution.24

Carbon economics of the 21st century present our generation with the opportunity to not only stabilise the world’s climate system, but to also create an economic system that will conserve the world’s biodiversity.

Healthy landscapes store vast quantities of carbon. Biodiversity is carbon.

Let me give you just two of hundreds upon hundreds of examples of how terrestrial carbon can help solve the world’s climate problem: conserving the world’s tropical rainforests, and repairing degraded landscapes across the Australian continent.

Conserving the World’s Tropical Rainforests

Tropical rainforests cover 7% of the world’s land surface, yet they contain almost half of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity.

The Amazon, the African Congo, and just to our north, the Indonesian archipelago. Over half of these forests have already been cleared, and current clearing rates are staggering – 13 million hectares of tropical rainforest is cleared every year.

But tropical deforestation is not only destroying nature, it is also directly releasing the equivalent of 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. This represents a staggering 20% of all global carbon emissions.

If the western industrial economies of Europe, Australia and America are prepared to invest, it will not only help the world address climate change, it will for effectively no additional cost, also finance the conservation of vast tracts of tropical landscapes, and, in the process, open up new economic opportunities for people in the developing world. It will be one of the great legacies of our generation.

Repairing Australia’s Degraded Landscapes

A price on carbon can also be the catalyst for driving a new generation of economic reforms that will transform the way we farm in Australia and the way we manage our natural landscapes.

We have been struggling in Australia for decades with land and water degradation, and the

loss of our unique biodiversity.

We have built great institutions, the Landcare movement, the Catchment Management Authorities, conservation groups such as Bush Heritage and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, but we have never had the financial resources even within an order of magnitude to deal with the problems we are confronting.

Action on climate change will change all that.

CSIRO has assessed the biophysical potential of the Australian landscape to store carbon. If Australia were to capture just 15% of this biophysical capacity, it would offset the equivalent of 25% of Australia’s current annual greenhouse emissions, every year for the next 40 years.

This represents a gross investment potential of terrestrial carbon in Australia of between $3 billion and $6 billion per annum.

Whilst there will be many issues affecting whether this potential is converted into reality, the implications are that a price on carbon presents an economic opportunity of almost unimaginable scale to pay our farmers to help us to fix a raft of major environmental challenges facing Australia:

• restoring native vegetation along the nation’s rivers, wetlands and estuaries;

• expanding habitat to create viable populations of threatened species, which is a

foundation stone for the long-term conservation of biodiversity; and

• improving soil carbon in agricultural landscapes, which have been in slow decline over

the past two centuries.

Our landscapes are built from carbon and the new carbon economy would fundamentally transform the way we farm in Australia and the way we manage the Australian environment.

We must stand up and challenge our friends to think about the consequences of inaction, rather than use uncertainty as an excuse for putting off hard decisions. But most importantly, we need to stop seeing climate change as a threat to economic prosperity and see it as the great opportunity of our generation to set humanity up for the next industrial revolution of the 21st century.

We now know that a modern economy can provide the means for protecting life on earth and still deliver spectacular economic growth, so it’s no longer a question of money. It’s not the machines that are the problem, it’s us.

Our parents invested in the economic future of their world with spectacular success. Now it is our turn. We must invest in the future of our natural world. This is the great challenge of our generation.

In 2010, Sydney Theatre Company is joining with the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists to present The Wentworth Talks, a series of free bi-monthly presentations and panel discussions at The Wharf led by guest speakers addressing a wide range of topics relating to climate change and the environment.

The Wentworth Talks: Professor Bruce Thom

Professor Bruce Thom
COASTS: how best can we adapt to the challenges of climate change?
The Next date for the Wentworth Talk

Monday 19 April at 6.30pm
Wharf 1

Source: www.wentworthgroup.org and www.sydneytheatre.com.au

Solar & Wind Drive Fully Functional Smart Microgrid

By bringing together international technology and expertise, the Antarctic research station “Princess Elisabeth” combines eco-friendly construction materials, clean and efficient energy use (sourced from wind and solar), optimization of the station’s energy consumption and the best waste management techniques to achieve a major global first, while Australian green technology company, Solar-Gem, is winning awards and contracts for its revolutionary approach to solar generation.

 A Historical Handover in Antarctica

The International Polar Foundation and partners Laborelec and Schneider Electric bring the Princess Elisabeth Station to “zero emission”

We are pleased to announce the handover of the fully functional smart microgrid inside the Princess Elisabeth Station to the International Polar Foundation (IPF). After successful completion of the final tests of all systems, the Princess Elisabeth Station now operates solely on renewable energies, achieving a major first.

This innovative energy management system, designed and implemented by Laborelec, a subsidiary of Electrabel and one of the research centres of GDF SUEZ Research & Innovation division, rests on a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), the “brain” of the station, developed by Schneider Electric.

By continuously managing energy offer and demand, and prioritizing energy needs within the station, the PLC helps achieving best energy efficiency.

Princess Elisabeth Antarctica can meet its energy needs with an installed power only one-tenth of commonly accepted standards. This feat allows it to rely solely on renewable energies and thus achieve its “zero emission” operational target.

Using available technologies to produce and control energy, the IPF and partners Laborelec and Schneider Electric have succeeded in designing a new way to manage power in an energy autonomous building. Their joint achievement sets new standards in terms of energy efficiency and management.

It redefines the concept of energy consumption by devising a system distributing available resources according to priorities, instead of endlessly supplying energy to meet an uncontrolled demand.

At the end of this Antarctic summer season, a new satellite link will grant remote access to the PLC. The Princess Elisabeth Station will then be monitored online. All its energy-related systems will be managed and adjusted remotely throughout the winter season.

Achieving this milestone in energy management for Antarctic research stations has been made possible by the joint efforts of the International Polar Foundation, Laborelec-GDF Suez, and Schneider Electric.

International Polar Foundation (IPF):

The International Polar Foundation is a public utility foundation, which aims to promote polar research as a tool for raising public awareness and fostering understanding of the fundamental mechanics of our climate.

The IPF also encourages the adoption of innovative solutions that will enable us to respond in a sustainable manner to the challenges associated with climate change.

This project is a major first: the only polar base operating entirely on renewable energies! Wind and solar.  This represents a technical achievement blending the best both science and technology can offer.

By bringing together international technology and expertise, “Princess Elisabeth” will combine eco-friendly construction materials, clean and efficient energy use (sourced from wind and solar), optimization of the station’s energy consumption and the best waste management techniques.

These leading techniques and facilities will aim to reduce the station’s ecological footprint on the pristine environment of Antarctica, following the principles set forth by the Antarctic Treaty..

Source: www.polarfoundation.org and www.antarcticstation.org

Also appeared on Sky Business Eco Report:

Australian green technology company, Solar-Gem, has been given a major boost in the US after it took first place honours at an Innovation Shootout competition held at Microsoft’s Silicon Valley Campus.

The Shootout, which is aimed at showcasing Australian technologies to venture capitalists for global commercialisation, saw Solar Gem win out over six Australian competitors — Digisensory, Intelliguard, Mid-Comp International, MultiTrode, Synengco, and Zarloc.

Solar Gem’s technology seeks to provide affordable off-grid energy based on clean solar power systems, particularly to developing nations without electricity and lighting for their rural and regional populations.

Under the Shoot-Out participants were allotted five minutes to convince a panel of Microsoft staff, Silicon Valley venture capitalists and industry analysts that their technology had potential for success in the US.

The Shootout is part of the G’Day USA week. Austrade’s San Francisco-based senior trade commissioner, Nigel Warren, said the event showcased the Australian innovation and promoted business collaboration between Australia and the US.

In January 2010, Solar-Gem the Australian Solar Powered Off-Grid Lighting Company announced it had shipped product samples to the democratic Republic of Congo for use as emergency lighting in hospitals and clinics.

The systems consists of Solar-Gem  SGL-1 high-efficiency LED lighing modules coupled to the SGC-1 12V maximum power point tracking charge controller and SGP-32 32W flexible solar panels.

The system will initially be deployed in Kinshasa for testing and training and then relocated to a regional medical facility. The system will provide emergency lighting for operating theatres.  

In June 2009 Solar-Gem announced that it had Australian Solar Technology lights up village life at Indian heritage site: 

Sydney based company, Solar-Gem Pty Ltd, has won the rights to light up a village at the world famous Indian heritage site of Elephanta Caves off the coast of Mumbai with its unique solar powered LED lighting technology.

In a significant step towards successfully entering the Indian market, Solar-Gem has signed an MOU with Science and Technology Park (STP) based in Pune, India to conduct the trial with the Solar-Gem solar powered LED lighting solution. STP is an Indian Government research and technology centre renowned for its leading role in introducing new technologies to projects in the Sub-Continent.

CEO Khimji Vaghjiani said “this was a great step forward towards providing efficient renewable energy based lighting in both developed and developing markets. The Solar-Gem solution will replace dangerous and expensive kerosene and candle lighting used in villages and assist developing nations in reducing their carbon footprint and reliance on grid connected power.”

Khimji said “the MOU with STP was testimony to the fact that the Solar-Gem solution was economically and technologically suitable for the needs of developing countries.”

Source:  www.solar-gem.asia

The Green Consumer & Energy Efficiency Gains

Businesses say it will be consumer demand rather than tax breaks that will turn them green. More than 250 Australian businesses were surveyed on their sustainable practices and what would make them consider greener options, while an assessment of the “electric productivity” of the 50 US states by the Rocky Mountain Institute found that shoring up performance gaps through energy efficiency could cut consumption by 30%, cited in the State of Green Business Report.

Consumers drive green demand

Claire Heaney in the Herald Sun (11 February 2010):

BUSINESSES say it will be consumer demand rather than tax breaks that will turn them green.

While debate drags on about the best way to cut pollution, a new report reveals that more than eight out of 10 businesses say that they will be driven by consumers ahead of tax breaks to become more sustainable.

Surprisingly, more than 90 per cent of businesses say their green credentials did not appear to have any bearing on whether they won or lost business in the past year.

More than 250 businesses were surveyed for the Grant Thornton International Business Report on their sustainable practices and what would make them consider greener options.

While consumer demand was cited as the main driver, 77 per cent said research and development tax incentives were a factor. Rising energy bills were another motivation for 71 per cent of respondents who headed businesses with 20 to 299 employees.

Grant Thornton Australia privately held business head Tony Markwell said the biggest challenge faced was lack of consumer pressure to encourage a change in business practices.

Green business KeepCup, which makes reusable coffee cups, said consumers were keen to cut their use of disposable coffee cups.

Spokeswoman Jo Ferrari said people felt using the KeepCup was a small but tangible thing they could do to cut waste.

She said a lot of businesses were buying cups for their employees as part of their sustainability push.

Ms Ferrari said many cafe owners offered 20 to 50 discounts to reward green thinking customers and to recognise loyalty

Source: www.heraldsun.com.au

Energy Efficiency Gains Horsepower: The State of Green Business 2010

By Joel Makower in GreenBiz (9 February 2010):

To celebrate the launch of the third annual State of Green Business report, we will be highlighting over the next two weeks the 10 big trends that are shaping the future of the greening of mainstream business. You can download the report for free here, and read all 10 trends on GreenBiz.com.

As managing greenhouse gas emissions continues to rise in priority inside companies, the need to find large, cost-effective energy savings is becoming increasingly important. Some of the biggest opportunities come from basic upgrades — of lighting, air conditioning, equipment, vehicles and other energy-using things. Coca-Cola Enterprises, for example, said it would slash its electricity consumption by 5.6 million kilowatt-hours a year as a result of an energy-efficiency overhaul of just its lighting systems at 24 facilities in the state.

But that barely illuminates the opportunity. There are equally large savings to be found from a wide range of energy-management practices.

Managing energy use has become increasingly easier, thanks to a new generation of technology. The latest energy management software, for example, is helping companies get real-time information about energy consumption, making real-time adjustments as needed along the way. Since the new tools allow companies to load the local utilities’ rate schedules, they can see current energy consumption and cost by facility, minute, day, month or year.

One company, Verdiem, unveiled a “Sustainability Dashboard” feature for its Surveyor PC power management program that helps tie the energy saved from smart PC fleet policies to reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The feature enables IT administrators to quickly measure how PCs in any part of an enterprise are making use of energy-saving software.

Another company, Engenuity Systems, said it was helping the McDonald’s chain shave 13.6 percent off the $1.5 billion the fast-food giant spends each year on cooking, lighting, heating and cooling. Engenuity is installing devices to turn off lights at certain times of day and when buildings are empty, as well as air conditioning and heating equipment that monitors temperatures and controls.

All of this is spurring companies to adjust their greenhouse gas management strategies to highlight efficiency measures. Internet giant Yahoo!, for example, said it would no longer purchase carbon offsets for its operations, focusing its climate strategy on reducing the energy used by its data centers. The move reversed its 2007 announcement that it would invest in carbon-offset projects in order to become carbon neutral. Data centers account for more than half of the company’s carbon footprint, including its global office operations, employee commuting and air travel.

Yahoo! wasn’t alone. Making data centers energy efficient has become an obsession for companies, especially technology firms that are finding that where to locate energy-guzzling data centers is becoming a choke point for their operations. The facilities — which can consume as much energy as a small city — simply aren’t feasible in areas where the electricity grid is stressed.

IT executives are upping their green game. A study conducted by AFCOM found an ever-increasing number of data center and facility managers (71.3 percent, to be precise) have already adopted at least some green IT projects. The Great Recession both helped and hindered this effort.

While the economic downturn spurred interest in saving energy, AFCOM found the biggest obstacle to implementing IT efficiency projects was that there’s not enough money to get these projects started: 39 percent said budgets were too tight to purchase more efficient servers or cooling systems.

But energy savings — in data centers as elsewhere — doesn’t necessarily mean new equipment. During a 2009 GreenBiz.com webcast, members of the Green Grid, an industry consortium, showed how good data center management practices could cut energy use by 20 percent.

That only begins to describe efficiency savings. An assessment of the “electric productivity” of the 50 U.S. states by the Rocky Mountain Institute found that shoring up performance gaps through energy efficiency could cut consumption by 30 percent.

The RMI study determined the productivity rate of each state by measuring how much gross domestic product is generated for each kilowatt-hour consumed. It found that if the rest of the country achieved the normalized electric productivity of the top performing states, the country would save roughly 1.2 million gigawatt-hours annually, about 30 percent of U.S. electricity use, or 62 percent of its coal-fired electrical output. That’s a lot of power to effect change.

Source: www.greenerbuildings.com

Photosynthesis for Hydrogen & Algae for Commercial Production

Researchers from the University of Wollongong are working on new technology to effectively convert sunlight, the energy in sunlight, into a transportation fuel, namely hydrogen, while in the US algae researchers are urged to work side-by-side with algae producers, as now is the time to fast-track the commercialisation of this industry.

From the National Algae Association (US):

“At the moment, you only have OPEC to buy your fuel from. That’s it, there’s no competitor,” he said.

“If you develop a clean fuel made of algae, or butanol, then there is a clean alternative.”  

(Richard Branson, December 17, 2009)

 Algae: The New Biofuel  

It’s renewable, does not affect the food channel and consumes CO2

Oil prices are rising again, and they’re going to continue to do so.  We’re already seeing it at the gas pump.   The foreign oil and gas we have depended on for generations has turned into a dangerous addiction. 

The U.S. holds less than 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, and we now import 60 percent of our oil from foreign sources.  The point was recently made that, at current rates of supply and demand, by 2030, 50% of the oil supply would come from OPEC nations.   

Both Exxon and Bill Gates recently invested in the new algae biofuel industry.  By investing in renewable energy in the United States, we will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, become energy independent and create new green jobs – and algae is one solution that takes care of all three! 

We need to add the most practical renewable jobs, here in America, so we can replace the oil and gas we import from places like the Middle East and Venezuela with clean, renewable, American power.  A nation that doesn’t depend on others for a vital commodity is a strong country.  And that’s what America needs to be.    

The National Algae Association is well aware that we will still need a supply of oil and gas as we work toward energy independence, and the petroleum jobs in the United States are going to remain and flourish.  But Henry Ford’s first car is a far cry from what we are driving today. 

We know that algae strains, raceway ponds, closed-end loop photobioreactors, harvesting and extraction systems developed and built today will be different 3-5 years from now.  We are all in this together, and we all need to work closely together to help the US reduce its dependency on foreign oil, become energy secure and create new green jobs. 

Algae researchers in the US need to work side-by-side with algae producers.   Algae strains, production and equipment have been researched for over 35 years in the US.  It is now time to fast-track the commercialization of this industry. So, what are we waiting for?

The NAA is all about Collaboration + Innovation = Commercialization!  NAA’s mission is focused on fast-tracking commercialization of algae.  Supporting the National Algae Association is supporting America’s future.  Our quarterly conferences are attended by algae producers, equipment manufacturers, researches, and scientists, along with members of the legal, investment and financial communities. 

NAA’s quarterly conferences are not panel discussions looking down at the algae industry from 30,000 feet.  We are at ground level – presenting and discussing the technologies, processes and equipment that are currently available or under development.  We collaborate and share our efforts to move algae into commercial-sale production.  

Source: www.nationalalgaeassociation.com

ABC News (12 February 2010):

Scientists shed light on hydrogen fuel project: By Water as fuel

Researchers from the University of Wollongong, on the New South Wales south coast, are part of a group to have developed new technology with the potential to make hydrogen fuel from water.

The process would occur using sunlight from solar panels on suburban homes and schools.

The research group has obtained patent status in Australia for the technology and has applied for a patent to protect intellectual property rights in the United States.

Dr Gerhard Swiegers from the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute says researches have been able to mimic the process of photosynthesis that occurs in plants.

“Hydrogen is of course a fuel. You can burn hydrogen in your car like you can burn petrol or diesel. In fact, there are a number of hydrogen-powered cars already out there,” he said.

“What we are effectively doing is converting sunlight, the energy in sunlight, into a transportation fuel, namely hydrogen.”

While the technology is still some years away from commercial production, it has attracted strong interest in the United States where hydrogen power cars are in development.

Dr Swiegers says the technology has great commercial potential.

“Potentially we will be able to build a solar cell which you can put on your roof, the roof of your home, and then it will split water for you and make hydrogen for you at home which you could fill your car up with,” he said.

The University of Wollongong is collaborating with teams from Princeton University in the United States, Monash University and the CSIRO.

Source: www.abc.net.au

Sporting Green Venues and Clean Energy

Are the Vancouver Olympics are as green as they could be?  David Suzuki wonders whether we may eventually have to rethink our approach to such global mega-events if we are serious about reducing the impacts of climate change, particularly as the very future of winter Olympics depends on having winters cold enough to sustain snow and ice.

By David Suzuki with Faisal Moola

Several people have asked me if the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics will be the greenest games yet. The answer may be yes – if we’re talking about the abundance of greenery and lack of snow brought on by record high temperatures during one of the earliest spring seasons the city has experienced.

With respect to environmental impact, all Olympic Games leave a very large footprint. Thousands of people flying in from all over the world, along with local transportation and the infrastructure that must be created, mean a lot of carbon emissions get spewed into the atmosphere.

What many people may not realize is that, along with sports, the Olympic movement has two other official “pillars”: culture and the environment. People in Vancouver have seen evidence of the cultural pillar, with an amazing line-up of music, theatre, and other cultural events for the Cultural Olympiad.

Vancouver Olympic organizers have also tried to reduce the environmental impact of the 2010 Games. For example, venues and infrastructure have been built using energy-efficient technologies, clean-energy sources will be used for many aspects of the Games, and carbon offsets will balance out a significant portion of the emissions from the Games. As a result of these and other initiatives, the 2010 Olympics are expected to produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than previous Winter Olympics.

But that doesn’t mean the Vancouver Olympics are as green as they could be. In fact, we may eventually have to rethink our approach to such global mega-events if we are serious about reducing the impacts of climate change, particularly as the very future of winter Olympics depends on having winters cold enough to sustain snow and ice.

We hope that future host cities, and the IOC itself, will learn from the lessons of the 2010 Olympics. For example, despite an emphasis on public-transit use during the Games, the Vancouver Olympics will leave the region with few long-term improvements in sustainable transportation. Instead, the highway up to Whistler was widened at a cost of $600 million. And so far, 2010 Olympic organizers haven’t made the most of opportunities to tell the story of their climate initiatives to Canadians and the world. Because so many people will be focused on the host city, and because climate change is a defining issue of our time, the winter Olympics offer an unparalleled opportunity to inspire billions of people around the world with solutions to global warming.

The IOC itself must also play a stronger role to ensure that Olympic organizers take the environment seriously. A look back at previous Olympics shows remarkably varied performances regarding the environment, with the Athens 2004 Games standing out in particular for their weak environmental record. The IOC should set minimum environmental benchmarks so that every organizing committee has clear targets to meet – or exceed. Such benchmarks would also allow successive Olympic Games to be assessed and compared and opportunities for improvement to be identified.

The IOC should also put in a place an external monitoring body for each host city to ensure that standards for addressing climate impacts are upheld. For example, the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 was created to increase accountability of the London Olympic organizers with respect to their sustainability commitments.

And because not all host countries have the same financial means, the IOC could create an environmental fund, with financing from media-rights revenues or other sources. The fund could help less wealthy countries to incorporate environmental considerations into their games, and to invest in long-term environmental and social initiatives in their regions.

Of course, environmental initiatives around Olympic Games are a shared responsibility. For the Vancouver Games, the federal, provincial, and municipal governments, the organizing committee, and other organizations are all accountable when it comes to ensuring that the Games themselves are green and that they leave a lasting legacy for the region.

The Vancouver Olympics have demonstrated that climate change initiatives, such as green venues and clean energy, are not only doable but affordable and can leave lasting legacies for host cities. Future Olympics can and should raise the bar even higher by finding ways to reduce their climate impact and inspiring their worldwide audiences with climate solutions.

Source: www.davidsuzuki.org

Lucky Last – About a resourceful climate sceptic

Never mind the science, follow the money. So writes Paddy Manning, who is a mine of information, in his column in The Age’s Business Day. Read More

Paddy Manning in The Age Business Day (13 February 2010):

NEVER mind the science, follow the money. It is perhaps not well known that celebrated climate sceptic Ian Plimer is on several mining company boards – which earned him more than $400,000 over the past two years – and has mining shares and options worth hundreds of thousands of dollars more.

Plimer, 63, once described by opposition leader Tony Abbott as a ”highly credible scientist”, is author of the sceptical tome Heaven and Earth.

Now into its ninth reprint, the book has sold 40,000 copies here and more overseas since it was published last year, and catapulted Plimer on to the world stage.

At December’s Copenhagen climate change summit, Plimer was one of the key speakers at a well-publicised fringe event for sceptics, telling his audience: ”They’ve got us outnumbered, but we’ve got them outgunned, and that’s with the truth.”

Plimer’s day job is professor of mining geology at the University of Adelaide. His profile page on the university’s staff directory lists his many qualifications, awards and publications … but is blank under the section ”consulting activities”.

Since late 2007, Plimer has been a non-executive director of Ivanhoe Australia, the ASX-listed subsidiary of colourful mining entrepreneur Robert Friedland’s Ivanhoe Mines. Ivanhoe’s major Cloncurry Project in Queensland has prospective copper, gold, lead zinc, silver and uranium deposits.

Ivanhoe Australia raised $125 million to float at $2 a share in 2008 and was trading around $3.12 yesterday. On top of directors’ fees ($50,000 last year, plus super) Plimer received, at the time of the float, 100,000 performance rights, convertible to a free share in the company at the rate of 25,000 a year for four years.

Late last year Plimer converted the first half of those rights into ordinary shares – worth about $156,000 at yesterday’s prices. So his total stake would be worth double that at current prices.

Plimer is also a director of ASX-listed CBH Resources, which has zinc, lead and silver mining interests in WA and NSW. Its last annual report shows CBH paid Plimer more than $125,000 in 2009 and $181,003 in 2008. He also indirectly holds more than 3.7 million CBH Resources shares, which, at yesterday’s price of 13.5¢, would be worth about $502,000.

Plimer is also on the board of tiny British-listed Kefi Minerals, which is exploring for gold and copper in Turkey.

There is nothing unusual about geologists going on to the boards of mining companies. But as several writers have noted, Plimer rails against government action to prevent climate change – for example, telling ABC’s Lateline an emissions trading scheme might destroy the mining industry – but rarely mentions his mining company directorships or the money he earns from them.

In November, Bob Burton, author of Inside Spin, posted an article on Plimer’s mining interests on the Sourcewatch.org website. He noted that Plimer’s climate scepticism sits oddly with Ivanhoe’s promotion of uranium mining as a solution to global warming. ”One of the arguments for nuclear energy is its substantially reduced level of carbon emissions,” the Ivanhoe prospectus states.

Graham Readfearn had a successful green blog for Queensland’s Courier-Mail newspaper when he joined in a debate at the Brisbane Institute with Plimer and Lord Christopher Monckton a fortnight ago.

Before a predominantly business audience of more than 400 people, each paying $130 a head, Monckton won ”in straight sets”, according to the Courier-Mail’s own coverage of the debate.

Plimer bristled when Readfearn broached the subject of his mining interests.

Readfearn, worn down, subsequently resigned from the newspaper. He says the sceptics – and sympathetic media outlets – just kept going and shouting everyone down.

”It’s like they’ve got this machine-gun full of nonsense and they keep firing it,” Readfearn says. ”You can’t catch every bullet, it’s impossible.”

In a quick email to this column fired from overseas, Plimer said: ”My links with the industry are public, I have invested in a number of mining companies and am proud to create jobs in outback areas where there are no other jobs. Presumably you will be balancing my links with those from the alarmist quarter and, as science is married to integrated interdisciplinary evidence, pointing out that my links cannot possibly influence supernoval eruptions, solar activity and the Earth’s orbit.”

Not exactly, but allegations of conflict do fly thick and fast in the climate debate. Plimer has previously complained that Ross Garnaut’s objectivity on climate change is rarely questioned, though he chairs mining company Lihir Gold.

Everyone has a stake in the climate. I suppose some are more conflicted than others. Some are more public, like Plimer, and some less so.

Source: www.businessday.com.au

Look out for this Green Tag

It’s being launched by David Baggs of ecospecifier Global at Green Cities in Melbourne. Ken Hickson/ABC Carbon will be attending the four day exhibition and conference. The next issue – abc carbon express 97 – will come to you from the Melbourne event, More news then, so in the meantime… Read More

Green Light for GreenTag™

Australian-owned ecospecifier Global is committed to raise standards for green building materials and methods with the introduction of its four tier GreenTag™ eco-label certification process.

David Baggs, ecospecifier Global’s technical director, is launching the company’s much anticipated GreenTag quality mark at the Green Cities Conference in Melbourne which starts Sunday 21 February and runs until Wednesday 24 February.

The GreenTag is a third party, green building certification system, underpinned by rigorous scientific and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) testing processes. Its advanced and robust LCA certification methodology, which has been developed exclusively by ecospecifier, is a world first.

Mr Baggs is convinced the GreenTag will “simply and effectively demonstrate to the market and the industry which building materials and methods are ecological, safe and socially-responsible compared to other comparable purpose business-as-usual products”. 

Design and development of the GreenTag mark has occurred over three years, under the watchful eye of some of the world’s top advisors in eco-labeling standards, green building and green product development.

GreenTag operates on four tiers – platinum, gold, silver or bronze – to rate and position a product at the top end of the green building market for materials and methods. 

The GreenTag standard has been created to comply or exceed the highest international green building rating requirements, and Mr Baggs expects it will be adopted in many overseas markets, including the Middle East, South East Asia, India and China.

“Australian exporters with GreenTag certified products will also be instantly at a distinct advantage in overseas markets, as this system becomes recognised as the highest possible standard for green building materials and methods,” says Mr Baggs.

In Australia, GreenTag is expected to become the benchmark for green products vying for selection in buildings to be approved by the Green Star system, awarded by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). 

Currently, ecospecifier’s GreenTag is going through the final stages of its application for acceptance as an authorised third party certification authority with the GBCA.

“We have designed GreenTag to be an efficient one-stop solution for the whole industry to benefit,” says Mr Baggs, “as it will speed up product research and planning processes in the specification and purchase of green building products”.

The GreenTag rating certification is seen as a versatile process that will also optionally assess products against other green building schemes around Australia, including NABERS, BASIX, BCA and overseas schemes, including LEED, BREEAM, Estidama Pearl, Green Building Index and Green Mark. 

“To protect nature, it is important to begin with a good sustainable design, however, the building blocks of any project rely on the quality, characteristics and advanced functionality of the products selected.   These are critical for the end result for any construction project that is seeking a top green building scheme rating,” Mr Baggs says.

He contends that the Life Cycle Assessment inherent in the GreenTag is particularly important as it determines the environmental and health impacts of a product from the sourcing and refining of its raw materials, transport, manufacturing, disposal, including reuse, recycling, operations and maintenance, over the whole life of the product.

“Our main intention is to enable the protection of natural systems to the utmost and help in the quest to deliver healthier built environments,” says Mr Baggs.

Since starting out in 2002, ecospecifier has created a reliable resource for the building industry in Australia, as a trusted third party verifier of green building products, fit-out materials and technologies. 

In 2008, the company took a leap onto the world stage to take up a leader position in the Middle East, as an industry resource and service in green product knowledge and application.  When the UAE and more specifically, Abu Dhabi Emirate, mandated new directions for the building sector in the region ‘to start greening the Middle East’, ecospecifier Global became a key advisor in these processes, helping to develop green policies and processes for the building industry.  

Now ecospecifier Global is also working with key local partners with websites also in South Africa, South East Asia and China.

GreenTag Information Seminars will be held in Melbourne 24 February; Sydney 4 March; Brisbane 8 March. Besides the Green Cities event, Ecospecifier will also be demonstrating Green Tag at DesignEX in Sydney 22-24 April and DesignBuild in Melbourne 23-25 June.

Source:  www.ecospecifier.org

GBCA (12 February 2010):

Victoria’s credentials as the home of Australia’s most sustainable cities will be under the spotlight when Premier John Brumby addresses the cream of global property and environmental leaders in Melbourne this month.

The Premier will deliver the first keynote address at the Green Cities 2010 conference at the Melbourne Convention Centre on 22 February to hundreds of international and Australian property and environment experts. Green Cities 2010 is a joint initiative of the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and the Property Council of Australia (PCA).

Green Cities 2010 will showcase many of Melbourne’s most sustainable buildings with delegates touring a number of Green Star rated buildings. They include The Gauge, Kangan Batman and Goods Shed North in the Docklands area, and Council House 2 in Little Collins Street, which has become a high-profile example of public sector leadership in sustainable development.  

GBCA Chief Executive, Romilly Madew said government policy is playing a critical role in determining the sustainability of cities.

“The approach government takes to development and planning policy, and its leadership by example, will determine which cities are sustainable for the next 100 years,” Ms Madew said.

The options available to further improve the sustainability of Australian cities will be a key theme of Green Cities 2010, with experts from the United States, Germany, South Africa, Hong Kong, New Zealand and India comparing the most successful methodologies from around the world.

Property Council Chief Executive Peter Verwer said the impact of sustainability policy on the property sector would be a key theme for delegates at Green Cities 2010.

“Australia has a rare opportunity to supercharge the greening of the nation’s buildings, precincts and cities,” Mr Verwer said. “Public policy on sustainability is a hot topic for commercial building owners and developers, and will be a key focus for Green Cities 2010 delegates.”

“Undoubtedly there will be a robust debate concerning government sustainability initiatives and how they will determine the future of incentives for existing buildings, the Green Building Fund and carbon trading.”

Source: www.greencities.org.au.

The Australian political scene is a funny place to be. Funny, if it wasn’t such a serious issue which is being joked about daily in newspaper cartoons. Or dismissed by some as inconvenient, costly and/or crap! We’re talking about climate change policy and primarily an emissions trading scheme to put a price on carbon.

Of course, it will take more than CPRS on its own to reduce Australia’s emissions to a realistic level, but hopefully the Greens are now seeing sense and can bring themselves to support a step in the right direction. We are even seeing former leaders of the Coalition prepared to “cross the floor” and/or come out of the woodwork to show what they support.

This issue goes beyond politics to consider some grand designs for clean air transport, biofuels coming onto their own, energy efficiency moves from a major oil company and renewables making their mark in the US. Two British business voices speak out strongly, and two pieces of research (one from the US and one from Australia) put things in perspective. Australia is reprimanded by one of its own for its clean energy shortcomings and the latest message from the Arctic is as bad as it gets.

Profile: Peter Young

British environmental and sustainability strategist Peter Young played a significant role in bringing about a concrete and binding Climate Change Act in the UK and the Aldersgate coalition, which he chairs, helped create the setting up of a climate change and energy ministry, combining the expertise in climate and the environment, energy and finance under one roof. Visiting Australia, Mr Young had some welcome ideas and lessons for politicians and business leaders alike.

Peter Young, Chairman of the Aldersgate Group and Strategy Director, Enviros (now part of SKM Group) was in Australia in the first week of February to meet with businesses, and specifically to address a forum organised by Environment Business Australia in Sydney.

Ken Hickson attended the Sydney forum, listened intently to what Peter Yong had to say and met the man of the moment. Here’s his report:

It becomes very apparent when meeting and listening to Peter Young that here is a man very much in touch with, even part of, strategy development and policy planning that both reflects and involves business and Government at the highest level in the UK.

He speaks with authority on climate change, renewable energy, energy efficiency, green jobs and financing the low carbon economy.

His belief is Australia can learn from, even adopt for itself, the recommendations of the Aldersgate reports on a financing the transition to a low carbon economy, developing a resource efficient future, and the creation of green jobs, as they could be just as applicable here as in the UK.

The role that he plays in the Aldersgate Group as chairman is one of leadership, as this quite unique group brings together government officials and agencies, NGOs, business leaders and politicians of all shades and persuasions.

Not only does the Aldersgate Group influence and help formulate Government policy, it also gives direction, even guidance, to businesses as to how to prepare for the social, environmental and economic challenges and impacts of climate change and the transition to a low carbon economy.

How Australia would benefit from having a group that acts and reports like the UK’s Aldersgate coalition. Fiona Wain put up her hand at the forum and offered EBA as a suitable vehicle to get this process started.

While Peter Young was in Australia, the latest Aldersgate report was released in London, announcing that the UK must adopt an industrial strategy which goes ‘beyond carbon’ to address critical resource efficiency challenges in all areas of the economy if it is to maintain employment and a competitive, sustainable advantage in global markets, now and in the future.

Another example is the report Aldersgate released last November:  ‘Mind the Gap – Skills for the transition to a low carbon economy’, which was launched at the House of Commons. It found that, despite the UK’s commitment to a rapid transition to a low-carbon, resource efficient economy, the Government’s skills strategy is inadequate to meet these needs. It is now imperative that ambition and delivery are accelerated.

Here’s another one, based on a report from the Group last October:

A more radical approach to financing low carbon projects is needed to ensure carbon targets are met, according to a report by the Aldersgate Group. It argues that a new strategic approach to reduce investor risks, mobilise capital and streamline institutional structures would accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy and reduce costs.

Three key recommendations were made that an effective financial strategy should:

1 Reduce the risk of investing in low carbon projects.

Significant advances in public policy will be required to make the necessary cuts in carbon

emissions. Concern that progress will not be fast enough or emission cuts deep enough

increases the financial risk of low carbon projects. This could be addressed by issuing

public guarantees or bonds index linked to emission reductions or carbon prices that can

provide a natural hedge for investors.

2 Mobilise private sector capital flows.

The Government must ensure that appropriate public policy mechanisms are in place to

mobilise capital from institutional investors at scale. Climate bonds could be particularly

effective by offering secure and long-term returns but these must be competitive.

3 Reform institutional structures.

Current structures which work on an ad hoc basis need to be reformed and rationalised

so that they can deliver in a more strategic and synchronised way. A Government-linked

financial institution, such as a Green Infrastructure Bank, could play a major role in

financing the low carbon transition. It would also create competitive advantage for the UK

and reduce dependency on the European Investment Bank which cannot meet predicted

future investment demand in the medium term.

The Aldersgate Group has some achievements up its collective sleeve. The coalition was instrumental in the creation of a combined climate change and energy ministry in Britain — which brings all the expertise in climate and the environment, energy and finance under one roof — and the subsequent introduction of the Climate Change Act.

Peter Young told Giles Parkinson of The Australian that finding ways to unlock finance is pivotal, be it for clean coal, nuclear energy, renewables, smart grids, or electric vehicles.

He told reiterated to those present at the Sydney forum that in Britain, Aldersgate has recommended that the initial financing gap be filled by government, perhaps in the form of loan guarantees now popular in the US. The benefit of this is that investors can focus on market risk rather than policy risk.

In a message as much for Australia as any other country, Peter Young urges governments to work more closely with universities to ensure that skills in new technologies are developed — electrical engineering for instance — and that training in current professions such as building, plumbing and electrical supply is expanded. It is those areas that may be the source of much of the green job expansion.

Here’s a little more information on Peter Young, who has 27 years experience in multi-disciplinary environmental management consulting.

He is also founder and Director of CAT Alliance Ltd, a member of the Advisory Council for the Environmental Industries Commission and was recently a commissioner on the Commission on Environmental Markets and Economic Performance.

 SKM Enviros is the new name for the combined expertise and capabilities of the water and environment, health and safety teams in Europe of Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) – a global engineering, sciences and project delivery firm – and Enviros Consulting – an environmental, sustainability, health and safety consultancy.

The launch of the new SKM Enviros business follows the acquisition of Enviros by SKM from Carillion plc in October 2009.

In a resource-efficient, low carbon economy, SKM Enviros’ aim is to lead debate, influence policy and shape development to achieve outstanding client success in a more sustainable way.

SKM Enviros consultants will work with other SKM colleagues worldwide to bring the best that the 6,500 strong multi-disciplinary consultancy – including 1600 water and environment professionals – has to offer its clients.

Peter Young, SKM Enviros’ Strategy Manager, said, “The response from clients and staff to SKM’s acquisition of Enviros has been everything we hoped for and the coming together of the two teams as one combined force is a natural next step. We are really excited about offering an improved portfolio of services to our clients and sharing with them the capabilities of the global business.”

Enviros Consulting was founded more than 35 years ago and in 2009 was voted the Best Consultancy in four categories at the edie Awards for Environmental Excellence: Climate Change and Renewables: Due Diligence; Waste and Recycling; Water and Wastewater.

While Peter Young was in Australia, the following announcement was made in London (on 1 February 2010) as the latest report was launched in joint meeting of the Aldersgate Group and the All-Party Parliamentary Environment Group at the House of Commons:

The UK must adopt an industrial strategy which goes ‘beyond carbon’ to address critical resource efficiency challenges in all areas of the economy if it is to maintain employment and a competitive, sustainable advantage in global markets, now and in the future.

This is the conclusion of a far-reaching, in-depth report by the Aldersgate Group, a coalition of companies, NGOs, professional bodies, MPs and others, who believe that high environmental standards are essential to long term economic growth.

The report – Beyond Carbon: Towards a Resource Efficient Future – states that resource efficiency will be one of the key determinants of economic success and human well-being in the 21st century and describes what a resource efficient economy might look like and what policies would be required to enable the transition.

It welcomes the publication of the Low Carbon Industrial Strategy. However, there is now a need to go “beyond carbon” and adopt general resource efficiency principles through practices such as true resource pricing and life-cycle management. Resource efficient policies should become key objectives for HM Treasury’s Management of the economy and be supported across Government departments, the report says.

It also states that while carbon may be the most immediate resource issue, it is not the only one. Water and other resources are also of critical importance. Substantial cuts in carbon emissions will require changes to the use of natural resources with significant indirect carbon impacts.

Sir John Harman, former Chairman of the Environment Agency and lead author of the report, said: “There is understandably a focus on carbon in policy making at the moment. However, there are equally pressing resource demands across many areas of the economy which need to be addressed, such as water resources against energy use, food production against biofuels, natural habitats against agricultural intensification and so on.  All of these will require a strong policy response and each will need to be addressed sector by sector.”

“We cannot rely on the market to act in time to anticipate constraints in natural resource stocks, we have to act in advance. The Low Carbon Industrial Strategy was an encouraging sign. For the first time, one of the economic ministries showed it wished to explicitly promote and shape Britain’s transition to a low carbon future. We now need to build and expand on this approach to promote low-resource consumption as a vital part of securing future competitive advantage. This report and the work of the Aldersgate Group can be seen as a step towards that.”

The report describes the possible features of a resource efficient economy by considering three contrasting economic sectors of food, water and materials. It makes clear that resource use has to be considered sector by sector. Although there are common issues, such as a need for a life-cycle approach to policy making and for the true price of environmental externalities to be reflected, they work out very differently in each sector due to the nature of the resources in question and the market structure in which each resource operates.

For example, the water sector is characterised by a small number of very large companies operating in a closely regulated manner. The report recommends the regulator’s role be enhanced to take a number of environmental considerations and costs into account and take some decisions on environmental grounds alone, rather than simply focusing on supplying water at least short-term cost to the consumer.

Conversely, the food sector has a large number of small enterprises, with the result that regulation is less all-encompassing and the market dominates. In the EU, 29% of all consumption derived GHG emissions are food related while the WWF estimates that food supply accounts for 23% of the total global ecological footprint. The food sector involves a complex interplay between land, water and nutrient resources so any regulatory response would have to include policies covering each diverse area. In addition there would have to be significant improvements made in food-chain economics to produce more with less and to reduce waste through the system, while far greater efforts would have to be made to drive sustainable consumption.

A one-size-fits-all approach would not work with such a complex production and consumption sector.

 “Each of the case studies shows that there are some common general principles of economic management for a resource efficient world, but each sector requires its own approach, and some of the measures will require us to step away from traditional economic thinking,” Sir John Harman added. “We have made a number of policy recommendations in this paper but they will need support across Government departments through policies on spatial planning, the remits of regulators and specific targets in key sectors. It is now in Britain’s interest to build and expand on this approach to promote low-resource consumption as a vital part of securing future competitive advantage, because the economies of the future will be the ones that make best use of the available resources.”

About Aldersgate Group

The Aldersgate Group is a high level coalition of progressive businesses, environmental groups and individuals who believe that high environmental standards will be a major part of future economic growth and international competitiveness.

By presenting objective evidence based on the diverse experience of our members, we promote the case that there is no inherent contradiction between regulating for high environmental standards at the same time as maintaining economic growth and stimulating wealth creation.  Quite the reverse: no economic policy which sacrifices environmental quality can succeed in the long term.

The Group engages actively with government and other key decision makers to contribute to the future development of UK economic, environment and sectoral policies, as well as providing a distinct voice that advances the better regulation and sustainability agendas.

Source: www.aldersgategroup.org.uk, www.skmconsulting.com and www.environmentbusiness.com.au

”For the sake of the planet, let’s get going”

Former opposition leader and Environment Minister in the previous Government, Malcolm Turnbull has savaged the coalition’s direct action plan to combat climate change as a “recipe for fiscal recklessness”, saying he would cross the floor to vote with Labor when a vote was taken on the carbon pollution reduction scheme, while World Vision chief executive Tim Costello – brother of former treasurer Peter Costello – urged the Greens to do ”everything they can” to get a scheme in place.

AAP reports (8 February 2010:

FORMER opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull has savaged the coalition’s direct action plan to combat climate change as a “recipe for fiscal recklessness”.

Giving his first parliamentary speech since losing the Liberal leadership in December, Mr Turnbull indicated he would cross the floor to vote with Labor when a vote was taken on the carbon pollution reduction scheme.

Mr Turnbull was scathing of the coalition’s new direct-action policy which aims to provide financial incentives to industry for reducing carbon emissions.

“We all know … that industry and businesses attended by an army of lobbyists are particularly persuasive and all too effective at getting their sticky fingers into the taxpayer’s pocket,” he told Parliament.

“Having the Government pick projects for subsidy is a recipe for fiscal recklessness on a grand scale.

“And there will always be a temptation for projects to be selected for their political appeal.”

A handful of Liberal MPs, including treasury spokesman Joe Hockey, were present in the chamber during Mr Turnbull’s speech.

The Government allowed Mr Turnbull an additional 10 minutes to complete his speech as other MPs, including climate change sceptic Wilson Tuckey, wandered into the lower house ahead of a maiden speech by first-time MP Kelly O’Dwyer.

Mr Turnbull said his strong and long-standing personal commitment to an emissions trading scheme prevented him from voting against the Government legislation.

Mr Turnbull committed the Liberals to supporting the legislation before he was dumped in favour of Tony Abbott, who has since released an alternative climate change policy.

Today, he urged Australia to have a climate change strategy in place before the next global talks in Mexico later this year.

“Prudence demands that we act to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and do so in a way that is consistent with, and promotes global action to do the same,” he said.

“All of us here are accountable, not just to our constituents, but to the generations that will come after them and after us,” he said, adding it was Parliament’s job to legislate for the nation’s long-term future.

It was positive that both sides of Parliament had agreed to at least a five per cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

“But it is not enough to say that you support these cuts, you must also deliver a strong, credible policy framework that will deliver them.”

Without a strong climate change policy, Australia could not expect other countries, such as China and India, to heed the call to tackle global warming.

Source: www.theaustralian.com.au

Adam Morton in The Age (8 February 2010):

SOCIAL justice groups are pressuring the Greens to abandon their opposition to the government’s emissions trading scheme, arguing continued rejection of the contentious bill could set back climate change policy in Australia for years.

While none fully backed the government’s revamped scheme, World Vision, the Uniting Church and the Brotherhood of St Laurence each supported it being passed. They dismissed Coalition claims the scheme would hurt the poor, saying they would be adequately supported through a package paying 120 per cent compensation to low-income households.

World Vision and the Uniting Church called on the Greens to set aside concerns the scheme did not do enough to cut greenhouse gas emissions and accept it as the best option available. World Vision chief executive Tim Costello urged the Greens to do ”everything they can” to get a scheme in place.

”For the sake of the planet let’s get going, let’s show some movement, and a price on carbon is the only way,” he said.

Mark Zirnsak, director of the Uniting Church’s social justice unit, said the Senate’s opposition to the bill had been ”a real win for the sceptics”.

He said the Greens’ proposal of an interim $20 carbon tax, with the price rising with inflation, would lead to more delays and a further round of industry lobbying for compensation.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence’s Tony Nicholson said Labor’s proposal was the best on offer and its compensation for low-income households was ”very adequate”.

The emissions bill could pass if it was backed by the five Greens senators and retained the support of the two Liberal senators, Judith Troeth and Sue Boyce, who voted with the government in December.

Greens climate change spokeswoman Christine Milne dismissed this possibility. She said the Greens’ proposal – the subject of ongoing negotiations with Climate Change Minister Penny Wong – had won wide support as a ”deadlock breaker”.

Source: www.theage.com.au