The Opposition has warned that the Australian federal government’s new “carbon tax” will come at a heavy cost for businesses suffering from the cost of living crisis.
Under the centre-left Labor government’s new safeguard—which the previous centre-right Coalition government introduced—Australia’s biggest polluters will be required to reduce their net emissions by almost 35 percent by 2030.
It requires the 215 facilities that annually produce over 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases to limit their net emissions below a baseline limitBusinesseses can “offset” the excess emission when the baseline limit is exceeded s by purchasing carbon credits.
But Ted O’Brien, the Shadow Minister for Energy, said the policy was “the biggest carbon tax Labor has introduced” and is three times more expensive than the carbon tax under former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard….