Westpac in rift with BCA on climate change policy

Westpac has become the latest major Australian company to split with the nation's top business lobby group over its approach to climate change, announcing a "variance" in opinion with the Business Council of Australia over the contentious policy issue.

Westpac said there was "variance" around the bank's position

 on climate change policy and that of the BCA.

Underlining the tensions in the business community over climate change, the country's second biggest bank on Tuesday said a review of its membership of peak bodies had found that it disagreed with the BCA on aspects of international and domestic climate policy, and domestic energy policy.

Read the story from The Age by Clancy Yeates and Colin Kruger - “Westpac in rift with BCA on climate change policy.”

Business council faces negative ad blitz over criticism of 45% emissions target

The Business Council of Australia will find itself the target of a negative advertising campaign for declaring that an emissions reduction target of 45% would wreck the Australian economy.

The Australia Institute will run an ad campaign debunking a
Business Council of Australia claim that a 45% emissions
reduction target is ‘economy-wrecking’. 

With Labor planning to go to the federal election with an emissions reduction target of 45%, and the Coalition spoiling for a partisan fight, the progressive thinktank the Australia Institute will invest campaign resources in debunking a claim from the BCA that the proposed target is “economy-wrecking”.

In public statements in support of the Coalition’s now dumped national energy guarantee, a policy that included an emissions reduction target of 26% by 2030, the BCA described that level of abatement as “workable” but characterised Labor’s 45% alternative as “economy wrecking”.

Read the story from The Guardian by Katharine Murphy- “Business council faces negative ad blitz over criticism of 45% emissions target.”

Westacott calls for growth, ignoring its impact on climate change

A discussion today on Radio National featuring the Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia, Jennifer Westacott, reduced me to tears (metaphorically).

Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia, Jennifer Westacott.

The 15-minute discussion was loaded with claims, from Ms Westacott naturally, that whatever problems Australia faced those difficulties could be resolved through reduced taxation for businesses and a focus on growth.

Never was it hinted at that growth as understood and promoted by Ms Westacott is exactly the root cause of a worsening climate system that will derail the aims and goals she so cherishes.

Listen to the interview on Radio National.