'Climate change policy needs market mechanism' - Age Editorial

The public brawl being played out in the Climate ChangeAuthority is a fresh story, and yet a highly familiar one. It is not surprising people plucked from differing walks of life to advise the government on global warming would have sharply conflicting views.

A majority of board members, most appointed by the Coalition, have recommended the government build on current policy settings to meet existing greenhouse gas reduction targets. They have been challenged by two members, scientist David Karoly and academic and author Clive Hamilton, who believe the majority has failed by not stressing Australia needs to cut emissions much more rapidly if it is to play its part in limiting global warming to less than 2 degrees – a benchmark agreed under the Paris climate deal.

Read the Editorial in today’s Melbourne Age - “Climate change policy needs market mechanism.”

(Friend David Karoly is one of those, the implication suggests, who is “brawling” in the Climate Change Authority – brawling conjures images which do David an absolute disservice and so was a rather sad and poor choice of words. David’s intent, I’m sure, is about the authority honestly and objectively reflecting what the science explains and consequently what our community should be doing in response. Although David may well be uncomfortable about the whole “brawling thing”, I know he will remain faithful to the science and continue to publically advocate for a thoughtful and reasoned response to climate change and not be influenced, as others have, by vested interests – Robert McLean).