[Greens-Media] Costa's carbon double dipping bad for households & environment

[John Kaye]

Costa's carbon double dipping bad for households & environment

Media Release: 7 August 2008

Plans by the nation's electricity generators to pass on their emissions trading costs to consumers is yet another argument for not compensating large polluters, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Commenting on a story on page 3 of today's Sydney Morning Herald ('Suppliers plan to pass buck on carbon') Dr Kaye said: "NSW Treasurer Michael Costa has led the charge for cash handouts to power stations in order to prop up his push to sell off the state's electricity generators.

"Now the full damage that would flow from implementing his proposal is becoming much more apparent.

"The revenue from emissions trading should be directed to households to keep their bills down by become more energy efficient. It should also go to new renewable energy sources and to affected communities to develop new industries.

"This would minimise the burden on the household budget and drive down the nation's emissions.

"Instead Mr Costa is pushing to turn the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) into a massive bonanza for the nation's worst polluters.

"Despite Professor Ross Garnaut's warnings against cash handouts to power stations, the Rudd government is buckling under to intense lobbying from Mr Costa.

"Their Green Paper envisaged about 20 per cent of the revenue from the sale of carbon certificates being handed back to electricity generators.

"Instead of driving change towards a lower emissions industry with polluters paying much of the costs, the NSW Treasurer is on the brink of succeeding in turning the CPRS into a tax on households and a windfall for coal-fired power stations.

"The Rudd government should learn from the NSW Labor party's experience and ignore Michel Costa.

"They should not let his privatisation fetish undermine their CPRS," Dr Kaye said. 

For more information:	John Kaye 0407 195 455