Below are some preliminary comments made by climate scientists about the Australian Government’s latest report – Australia’s Climate Change Policy.

The report documents – Australia’s Climate Change Policy – are now available online.

Feel free to use these quotes in your stories. If you need assistance tracking down an expert, contact the AusSMC on 08 8207 7415 or email us.

Dr Mark Diesendorf is from the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of New South Wales.

“The Prime Minister’s announcement on climate change says little of substance about the structure of the government’s proposed emissions trading scheme, apart from confirming that there will a long delay until 2011 before it is actually implemented. Contrary to Mr Howard’s claim, this delay is economically irresponsible, since modelling shows that the costs of the necessary reductions in emissions will increase with delay time. It is hard to conceive of a reason for refusing to set a target and timetable, apart from pandering to the big greenhouse gas emitting industries.

The government’s claimed savings of 87 million tonnes of emissions by 2010 are relative to a hypothetical business-as-usual scenario. They are primarily obtained by reductions in land clearing that have been initiated by two States, not the Commonwealth.

The announced $1000 rebate for solar hot water systems, capped at 225,000 systems, is a small but useful gesture. Presumably the government conceives this as some kind of compensation for its intention to terminate the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target.”