Biggest polluters get clear path to hike emissions under plan

Australia’s biggest polluting companies would more easily jack up their greenhouse gas emissions under a Turnbull government proposal that critics say undermines multi-billion dollar efforts to tackle climate change.

The government has proposed loosening the safeguard mechanism,
which limits greenhouse gas emissions from big polluters.

The proposed change was prompted by feedback from businesses, including the petroleum industry, which said emissions rules did not adequately allow their businesses to grow.

The Department of the Environment and Energy last week released a consultation paper outlining planned changes to the "safeguard mechanism", which is supposed to ensure pollution reductions bought through the government’s $2.55 billion Emissions Reduction Fund are not offset by emissions increases elsewhere in the economy.

Read Nicole Hasham’s story in today’s Age - “Biggest polluters get clear path to hike emissions under plan.”