MEDIA RELEASE
17 October 2009
A million good reasons to recognise emissions cuts
NATIONAL: The commitment of nearly a million households who voluntarily buy green power or
install solar panels to reduce their emissions needs to be better recognised in the design of a
national emissions trading scheme.
Clean Energy Council chief executive Matthew Warren said many Australians were already taking
steps to reduce their own carbon emissions and these cuts should be made in addition to any cap
set under a proposed carbon pollution reduction scheme (CPRS).
“Many Australians voluntarily buy green power and install solar panels because they want to make a
difference to Australia’s carbon emisisons. The danger is that the CPRS in its current form does not
reflect the importance of these actions and properly account for them, eroding the incentive for
customers to purchase clean energy,” he said.
GreenPower has been an important driver of additional renewable energy deployment since its
introduction in 1997. The government’s current proposal only acknowledges voluntary GreenPower
purchases above a baseline of 2009 sales, with a five year time lag in the tightening of caps.
Mr Warren said the CPRS cap should be tightened each year according to the amount of clean
energy bought or generated by these consumers, regardless of the 2009 baseline.
Mr Warren said further delays to the CPRS only served to increase uncertainty for businesses and
investors.
“There is a lot of uncertainty in the clean energy sector at the moment as businesses watch and wait
for clarity on the shape of the carbon market in Australia,” Mr Warren said.
“The CPRS is not perfect, but let’s get a system in place as soon as possible and we can improve it
as we go. The renewable energy target (RET) was a great example of collaboration between the two
major political parties, but we need an emissions trading scheme to recognise the environmental cost
of energy and drive instment in clean technology.
“We would like to see more of the bipartisan spirit that was evident in the passage of the RET to help
address one of the defining challenges of this generation.”
The clean energy industry also wants to see a significant proportion of the revenue from the auction
of carbon permits reinvested in research, development and demonstration for renewable energy and
energy efficiency technologies, including infrastructure and grid upgrades.
For media enquiries please call Mark Bretherton +61 413 556 981
The Clean Energy Council, the peak body for the clean energy sector, is working with all Australian
governments to ensure a secure and diversified energy sector; a reduction in energy waste including the
take up of solar water heating and insulation and more clean energy sources in our stationary energy mix
from solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, wave, bioenergy and gas.
Suite 201, 18 Kavanagh Street, Southbank 3006, Australia
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