Only the 1000 large businesses that emit the bulk of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions will be directly affected by the new carbon trading scheme, a key government figure says.
Only the 1000 large businesses that emit the bulk of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions will be directly affected by the new carbon trading scheme, a key Federal Government figure says.
Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said yesterday that small and medium sized businesses would by unlikely to face direct obligations under the scheme.
“We’d anticipate approximately a thousand Australian companies would be required to obtain permits under this scheme. Obviously we’ll focus primarily on the large polluters,” Wong told the ABC.
Under the proposed scheme, businesses will be required to buy permits if they want to exceed a carbon emissions limit that will be set by the Government.
Wong argues the planned introduction of a carbon trading scheme in 2010 will disrupt most businesses less than the implementation of the GST in 2001.
“So it’s unlike some people have been talking about the GST. Well that obviously involved two million, I think, Australian companies. Here we’re talking about around about 1000 Australian companies,” she said.
Wong’s comments came in the lead up to the release of the Federal Government’s green paper on its carbon trading scheme plans on Wednesday.
The green paper will canvass issues such as the assistance that will go to affected businesses and whether petrol will be included in the scheme, Wong said.
Read more on the carbon trading scheme and climate change
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