Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme

On 27 April 2010 the Prime Minister announced that the Government has decided to delay the implementation of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.

In making this announcement, the Prime Minister noted that:

• the challenge of climate change has not gone away and continues to require strong domestic and international action;
• the Government remains committed to introducing the CPRS because this is the cheapest and most effective way of tackling climate change; and
• the Government remains committed to the announced and bipartisan national emissions reductions targets.

However, the Government has assessed that the lack of bipartisan support for the CPRS, combined with slower progress than expected in terms of global action on climate change, means that the CPRS will need to be delayed.

The Prime Minister announced that the Government will not introduce the CPRS until after the end of the current commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (which ends in 2012) and only when there is greater clarity on the actions of other major economies including the US, China and India.

The Government has announced that it will boost the existing investments in clean and renewable energy and support greater energy efficiency measures in order to bring down greenhouse gas emissions in the near term.