Australia abandons Kyoto: "Australia has abandoned a major international measure aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions, arguing that it is unlikely to come into effect and creates no incentive for industry to reduce such emissions. The Howard Government believes there is still significant uncertainty surrounding the Kyoto Protocol and its international emissions trading scheme and has stopped all work on the scheme by the Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO). Staff have been moved to other projects or have left."

"Emissions trading allows industry to offset its production of greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming, by investing in projects such as carbon sinks... Meanwhile, the Premier, Bob Carr, has been trying to persuade other states to join him in setting up their own emissions trading scheme. He has created a greenhouse office within the cabinet office to administer a $6 million fund and investigate the possibility of a states-run scheme."

Surely a carbon tax or an emissions tax is a better concept for reducing emissions than emissions trading. There needs to be much more debate about this.

Australia abandons Kyoto: "Australia has abandoned a major international measure aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions, arguing that it is unlikely to come into effect and creates no incentive for industry to reduce such emissions. The Howard Government believes there is still significant uncertainty surrounding the Kyoto Protocol and its international emissions trading scheme and has stopped all work on the scheme by the Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO). Staff have been moved to other projects or have left."

"Emissions trading allows industry to offset its production of greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming, by investing in projects such as carbon sinks... Meanwhile, the Premier, Bob Carr, has been trying to persuade other states to join him in setting up their own emissions trading scheme. He has created a greenhouse office within the cabinet office to administer a $6 million fund and investigate the possibility of a states-run scheme."

Surely a carbon tax or an emissions tax is a better concept for reducing emissions than emissions trading. There needs to be much more debate about this.