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As part of an international agreement signed in Toronto in 1988, the federal government committed Australia to a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2005. But a new round of debate over Australia's energy and environment policies has been sparked by an Industry Commission report arguing that the proposed reduction would cause a 1.5% annual decline in economic output (about $6 billion).
The IC report argued that adjustment costs would be concentrated in particular regions and industries, such as coal.
Some debate has focussed on the pros and cons of a carbon tax (increasing the price of fossil fuels) as a policy instrument for curbing greenhouse emissions.
In the following pages, we present varying views on different aspects of the energy/greenhouse debate: Greenpeace proposals on biases in existing energy policies, an article from an official of the United Mineworkers, a study on greenhouse and forests, and conclusions of a report by the British consultancy London Economics.