Greenhouse blues

Wednesday, August 16, 2000 - 10:00

Greenhouse blues

BY BARRY HEALY

A report released by the Australian Greenhouse Office in July shows that Australia's greenhouse gas emissions jumped by 16.9% in the eight years to 1998. Under the Kyoto Summit commitments, Australia is supposed to limit greenhouse gas emission increases to 8% of the 1990 figure by 2010.

Electricity generation was the major source, contributing 37% of total net greenhouse emissions. Business groups say the cheap price of coal, especially brown coal, has slowed the development of renewable energy sources.

Agriculture (20%) and transport (16%) were the other main producers.

Environment minister Robert Hill commented that there was no need to panic but admitted the government faced a stiff challenge. However, industry minister Nick Minchin is pushing to water down the target, which he says could cut gross national product over the next 10 years by 1.4%.

For its part, the ALP eliminated its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol at its recent national conference in Hobart. The draft platform scrapped mention of it altogether. Science spokesperson Martyn Evans and industry spokesperson Bob McMullan stitched up the new policy in a backroom deal.

"Labor believes Australia must act as a responsible member of the world community and commit to greenhouse gas emission targets", the new platform reads. However, rather than a commitment to the Kyoto targets, it ties the party to whatever comes out of a protocol to be discussed in the Hague in November.

In Britain Tony Blair's Labour government is also making things difficult for those trying to reduce greenhouse emissions. Under new electricity trading arrangements (NETA), set to be introduced in November, generators that cannot guarantee continuous output will face potentially hefty fines. Wind farms, dependent on the vagaries of British weather, will be the hardest hit.

"NETA looks as if it will [scuttle] wind power", said Colin Palmer, director of Bristol-based Wind Prospect Ltd. Penalties for non-delivery could be severe, he said.