WA watchdog abandons carbon-neutral push after oil and gas industry criticism

Western Australia’s environmental watchdog has abandoned a recommendation to the state government that new emissions-intensive projects should be carbon neutral following widespread criticism.

 Western Australia’s EPA has abandoned a recommendation
that new emissions-intensive projects should be carbon
neutral after criticism from the oil and gas industry.

The Environmental Protection Authority last week released updated guidelines on mitigating emissions from new or expanding projects, suggesting proposals with emissions higher than 100,000 tonnes a year should be fully offset.

Read the story from The Guardian by Australian Associated Press - “WA watchdog abandons carbon-neutral push after oil and gas industry criticism.”

Alan Finkel urges Turnbull to adopt clean energy target before states act

Alan Finkel has urged the Australian government to swiftly commit to the final recommendation of his energy review, warning the longer that commitment takes, the more likely states and territories are to set up conflicting emissions reduction schemes.

 Australia’s chief scientist, Alan Finkel, says he does
not care whether coal remains part of the energy mix,
 as long as emissions keep heading down. 

Speaking at the Melbourne economic forum at Victoria University on Monday, Finkel, Australia’s chief scientist, said that a failure to establish a clean energy target would create more uncertainty for investors, who would have to navigate various state policies.

The Victorian government announced two days after the review had been released that it was prepared to implement its own clean energy target if the federal government didn’t commit.

Read Calla Wahlquist’s story on The Guardian - “Alan Finkel urges Turnbull to adopt clean energy target before states act.”

Finkel review: a bluffer's guide for those who haven't read it

So much does Tony Abbott dislike the Finkel review of the electricity market that he hasn't read it. On Monday, three full days after it was released, he branded its key recommendation a "magic pudding" and a "tax on coal" while conceding that he had been guided by "reports of the report" rather than the report itself.

Illustration John Shakespeare 

I understand where he is coming from. Who wants to wade through 200 pages of a report they won't like?

But I'd feel better about it if I thought that at least some of the 20 or so other backbenchers who spoke out against the Finkel Report at the Coalition party room meeting on Tuesday had taken the time to read it.

I fear that most haven't, and I reckon you probably won't as well.

Read Peter Martin’s comment in today’s Melbourne Age - “Finkel review: a bluffer's guide for those who haven't read it."