Australia's worst polluters must keep records of greenhouse gas emissions

Thu, Jun 26 03:13 PM

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) _ Australia's worst air polluters must begin measuring their emissions of "greenhouse" gases blamed for global warming as the nation moves toward an emissions trading scheme in 2010, the climate minister said Thursday. Starting next Tuesday, companies that emit more than 25,000 tons of greenhouse gases a year or use 140 million kilowatt hours of energy must keep so-called carbon accounts.

About 450 companies will have to keep the records, which must be submitted to the government starting next year. Failure to comply with record-keeping regulations will be punishable by a fine of up to 200,000 Australian dollars (US$192,000).

"This new system will play an important role in more precisely quantifying the greenhouse gases Australia produces," Climate Change Minister Penny Wong told reporters Thursday as she announced the regulations. "It will also, for the first time, provide robust and comparable information to the public on the greenhouse and energy profiles of Australia's large corporations," she added.

The government will release a report next month describing various options for how the emissions trading scheme could work, and seek public comment. In most emissions trading schemes, the government sets a limit on total carbon emissions and then issues permits to companies allowing them to produce a certain maximum amount of pollution.

The permits can be bought and sold, creating financial incentives for businesses to curb pollution. Dirtier businesses need to buy additional permits, while cleaner businesses can sell theirs.

Australia is one of the worst polluters per capita in the world because of its heavy reliance on abundant coal reserves to generate electricity. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's first act after winning elections last November was to ratify the Kyoto Protocol for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

His government has a long-term goal of slashing Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to 40 percent of 2000 levels. Rudd acknowledged in Parliament this week that carbon emissions trading will push up energy prices.

But he has refused to say whether gasoline will be left out of the scheme because motorists are already complaining about record prices at the gas pump.

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