Krudd & Co get cold feet on emissions targets

The Government has backed down on setting a target for 2020 emissions reductions prior to the UN climate talks in Poznan.

The Climate Change Minister, Penny Wong, yesterday defended the decision not to announce the target before she left for the talks in the Polish city of Poznan. She refused to comment on whether cabinet was divided over the target, which is expected to fall significantly below the level called for by European ministers, climate scientists and environmentalists who will attend the talks.
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Under intense lobbying from business and on the advice of senior officials, the Government is discussing setting a range of targets to cut greenhouse emissions by 2020. The target is now expected to be cuts between 5 per cent and 15 per cent of emissions, based on 2000 levels. This is significantly below the cuts of 25 to 40 per cent being called for by the European Union and climate scientists.

The reality of the effect of an ETS on the economy appears to be permeating even into the thick skulls of our blinkered government.

Read it here.