Hidden climate report might help Turnbull find the middle ground

The Climate Change Authority report that some suspected was buried by the Australian government to save it from policy embarrassment during the election campaign, could now make it easier for prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to find the middle ground in a minority government, or one ruling with a razor-thin majority.

The CCA report had been expected to be released in late June, but was delayed until after the election, to the obvious relief of the government. So, too, was a report on options for the electricity sector, which had been due for release in April or May, and which leaked reports suggest strongly supported some form of mandatory carbon price.

Those reports by the CCA, despite its board being stacked by Turnbull government appointees following the resignation of former chairman Bernie Fraser and other directors, would not have suited the Coalition election platform.

They were expected to reaffirm the position that Australia was trailing the world in emission reductions, needed to do more, and would need to adopt a carbon price. And, they would likely note, this would not be anywhere near as expensive as many suggest.

Read the RenewEconomy story - “Hidden climate report could help Malcolm find the middle.”

New PM's climate courage 'deserted him' - Bernie Fraser

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rime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's "courage has deserted him" on climate action, respected former government adviser Bernie Fraser says, predicting the federal Coalition's policies will fail to meet even modest targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Bernie Fraser - new PM
has lost
 his climate courage.

The criticism comes as Senator David Leyonhjelm signalled a crossbench revolt if the Coalition, whose attitude to renewable energy has become more favourable since the leadership change, reneges on a move to ban government investment in wind and household solar.

Mr Fraser, an ex-Treasury head and former Reserve Bank governor, resigned as chairman of the government's Climate Change Authority this month, two years before his tenure was due to end.

Read Nicole Hasham’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “PM Malcolm Turnbull has lost his courage on climate change, says Bernie Fraser”.

Where to now for the decimated Climate Change Authority after resignations and being ignored by government

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ernie Fraser’s resignation as chairman of Australia’s Climate Change Authority has left many wondering what is left of it and what its future might be.

Established three years ago as part of the climate change package negotiated by the previous parliament’s Multi-Party Climate Change Committee, the Authority was formed to serve as the principal source of climate policy advice to the federal government, particularly on the issue of emissions targets. Championed by the then Greens deputy leader Christine Milne, it was modelled closely on Britain’s Committee on Climate Change.

Read The Conversation story - “Ignored by the government, shrunk by resignations – where now for Australia’s Climate Change Authority?”

Bernie Fraser steps down as Climate Change Authority chair

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he chair of the Abbott government's climate change advice agency, Bernie Fraser, has resigned without explanation.

Bernie  Fraser - a surprise
resignation from the
Climate Change Authority.

It comes less than a month after Mr Fraser issued a strong rebuke to the Abbott government over its justifications of its post-2020 greenhouse emissions targets.

A statement issued by the Climate Change Authority late on Tuesday said Mr Fraser, a respected former Reserve Bank governor and Treasury chief, had quit as chair. His term was not due to end until 2017.

Read The Sydney Morning Herald story - “Climate Change Authority chair Bernie Fraser resigns”.

Fraser declares it unlikely Australia will reach emissions target

Bernie Fraser.

A review by the Climate Change Authority (CCA) has found the Government's Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) alone is unlikely to lead to an emissions cut of 5 per cent by 2020.

An ABC report headed: “Emissions Reduction Fund unlikely to reach targets, Climate Change Authority report says” explains that with the earlier repeal of the carbon pricing mechanism, the ERF has become the spearhead of the Government's climate change policy.

CCA chairman Bernie Fraser said the program had a modest budget of $2.5 billion but modelling still suggested it was unlikely the scheme would reach its target.

"There haven't been any auctions yet and there's still some details to be worked out so it's a preliminary judgment, but the amount of money and the way that it's configured suggests that on its own it's not going to deliver that target," he said.

Science-denying ideologies skew the conversation

Climate Change Authority
chairman, Bernie Fraser.

A conversation of critical importance to the welfare of all Australians has become dangerously skewed since the election of the Tony Abbott-led coalition government.

Driven by science-denying ideologies, the present federal government has busied itself dismantling Australia’s climate change mitigation infrastructure, while at the same time taking the leash off vocal climate skeptics.

Former Sunday Age editor, Gay Alcorn, writing in a piece headed: “Climate change bad guys apply heat to Labor”, says that while the skeptics have free reign on climate change, Labor is disturbingly quiet.

Ms Alcorn quoted the Climate Change Authority chairman, Mr Bernie Fraser, who said: “People in positions of influence in industry associations or companies or in the government and the opposition who in some cases say they believe the science, but don’t act as if they do”.